


Dark Paradise

by ClockStrikesMidnight



Category: Captain America (movie), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movie)
Genre: Building Relationship, Canon, F/M, FrostIron - Freeform, M/M, Norse Myths & Legends, Slight torture, au-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-03
Updated: 2012-09-20
Packaged: 2017-11-11 09:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 49,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/476958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockStrikesMidnight/pseuds/ClockStrikesMidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki falls from the Bifrost he finds himself in the unsuspecting arms of Tony Stark, flying high above Malibu, California. The events that follow include everyone, and no one is safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waiting On The Other Side

**Author's Note:**

> The title and chapters and from Lana Del Rey's Dark Paradise. This story was inspired by this video --> http://vimeo.com/46672490 by Starkk which I VERY highly recommend you all go watch right now. It's one of my favorite FrostIron videos. The story's slightly AU-ish I guess, mostly because I twisted up some Marvel Universe stuff and some Norse Mythology stuff. Anyway, enjoy!! :) *P.S. I do not own the fandom or the characters. I make ZERO profit from this.*

Everything seemed to explode in shatters of different colored glass, flinging him and Thor into the air and causing him to scream his hearts desire because he knew he wasn’t going to make it. 

He sees Thor try to move closer to him and grab onto him but there’s no way they’ll reach. The crystalline ledge is too far away, they’ll both fall into the giant black pit of fire and destruction. But suddenly he feels himself being stopped in mid air, grabbing onto the scepter that Thor somehow managed to catch. He looks up and sees Thor hanging upside down by his ankle, one hand on the scepter, and Odin standing at the edge of the Bifrost, holding his brother’s ankle. 

He can’t stop himself from defending his actions so he screams at Odin. “I could have done it, Father! I could have done it! For you! For all of us!” He tries to force a small smile onto his lips but the effort is futile. 

He can see the blank expression on Odin’s face and knows the answer before he speaks it. “No, Loki.” 

His heart seems to shatter in slow motion. Painful, gut wrenching, abandonment flows through his head and he feels the tear flow down his cheeks before he can manage to control it. He’s made his choice. 

Faintly he can hear the sound of Thor’s “No!” as he lets his long fingers release the end of the scepter and falls into the abyss of what is most certainly death. It’s fast and painless, the wind howling in his ears, and he knows that he’s gone. But he doesn’t stop falling.

~*~

Tony Stark is suiting up in his Mark VI suit when he hears the first clash of thunder. Maybe he should rethink this. He doesn’t care if he gets electrocuted in the air though, for some reason he actually wants to know the feeling. He’s curious. 

His AI says something but he doesn’t really focus on it, he’s too excited to try out his new suit. 

“Jarvis, sometimes you have to run before you can walk,” he says and without warning starts up the suit, flying through the garage entrance. “Woooo!!” He screams and he’s flying. Through the HUD he can see the Horizon Lock show up and the calculations of the altitudes. “Handles like a dream,“ he tells himself, flying over the water. Turning his body he focuses in on the large Ferris wheel, zooming in close enough to catch two kids staring at him with ice cream cones, one licking the ice cream top right off the cone. He smiles to himself. 

He flies faster, over the city, when a wild idea hits him. “Alright, let’s see what this thing can do. What’s SR-71’s record?” He watches as an imagine of the SR-17 Blackbird shows up in his field of vision. 

“The altitude record for fixed wing flight is 85,000 feet, sir,” Jarvis replies in his usual British tone.

“Records were made to broken, c’mon!” He screams, letting himself be pulled higher into the sky. 

“Sir, there is a potential fatal build up of ice occurring,” Jarvis warns him once he starts to get higher than he probably should and he can see the crystals starting to form across the HUD. 

“Higher, higher!” He says, but he can feel his body tensing at the build up of ice and then Jarvis alerts him again. 

“Sir, there seems to be something or someone falling from the sky at an alarming rate,” the AI says and Tony looks around and yup, there’s definitely something falling. But what the hell? Why would something be falling from this high up? And going that quickly? And look so much like a human. . .

“Jarvis we gotta break the ice!” He screamed, moving around frantically to break the ice, hearing it crack outside of his helmet and finally his HUD powers up again and he can control his flight, forcing himself towards the object that is falling, faster and faster. 

Oh shit! He thinks when he sees that yup, that is 100%, definitely a person falling from the sky. He flies over and gently uses his arms to catch the body, and looks at the face of a man with wild black hair chasing itself in the wind across his face, covered in leathers and metal and is that gold?! He doesn’t have time to analyze it now, if the person is even still alive. He lets his repulsors go dormant, then loads them back up, making his drop back down choppy but that’s what would get him back to his Malibu house fastest. Finally he’s back at the house, now to land. 

“Kill power,” he says. The suit freefalls through the roof of the house, through the piano, down right onto his blue 1967 Shelby Cobra, thank God not on the R8. That Audi is his pride and joy and he could never live with himself if he killed it.  
He leans his head back on one of the pieces of rubble and closes his eyes, not caring that there’s a body in his arms that probably needs serious medical attention if not a casket. And of course, Dum-E sprays him with the fire extinguisher. 

His eyes fly open when he feels something move in his arms. That’s strange. . . Suddenly the entire weight of the body is lifted off of him and he climbs to his feet faster than he ever remembers doing, getting a mind blowing head rush. He curses under his breath.

“Where am I?” He hears as he puts a hand to his throbbing head. When he looks up and sees the man, dressed in extreme leathers and metals like he belongs in the renaissance fair, crazy wild green eyes pierce his chocolate brown ones, he has to do a double take. 

“I think the question is more of, who are you?” Tony asks, flipping up the faceplate so he can get a better look at the man. 

“Where am I?!” The man screams, full throttle hysterics.

“You’re in Malibu, California!” Tony screams back, just wanting the end the conversation so his head stops trying to kill itself. 

“What realm be this?” The man asks, walking around the work shop and looking at different things, touching things that catch his attention. 

“Realm?” Tony asks.

“Yes! You imbecile, what realm!?” Okay this guy is really getting on his nerves now. 

“Hey, I don’t think you’re in any place to be calling me an imbecile after I just saved your free falling ass,” Tony snaps and the mans facial expression doesn’t soften. 

“I am a god! I do not need your help!” He shrieks, sounding more desperate for knowledge every moment. 

“Really?” Tony scoffs. “Cause about five minutes ago were you falling at at least a hundred miles an hour, maybe more, heading straight towards either a mountainside, the ocean, or a street filled with pedestrians.” 

The man holds his hand up to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. “Just tell me what realm I’m in!” His voice is quieter, but still much too loud to be considered anything but a scream. 

“I don’t know what realm, this is California, United States of America, Earth. . .”  
At ‘Earth’ his eyes fly open with shock and horror and he searches Tony’s face for any litter of trickery. “Midgard,” Tony hears him say under his breath and he’s just glad he isn’t screaming anymore. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Tony asks.

“Midgard, you did say Earth didn’t you?” The man says, piercing Tony with a death glare. 

“Yeah, this is Earth. But who are you? Why were you falling from the sky?” Tony tries again. He’s not giving up until he knows where this person came from. 

“That is of no concern to you,” the man hisses, his eyes narrowing and his teeth baring behind his lips. 

“Uh, yeah it is. I just saved your life, I think you owe me some answers,” Tony says, and really, he doesn’t think that’s too much to ask for. 

“You pathetic mortal, thinking that you can just order around a God? I will not reveal who I am to you,” he growls, turning to leave as it looks. 

“Jarvis, lock down mode, don’t let this guy get out,” Tony tells his AI. 

“Already done, sir.” At the voice the other man jumps, looking around the room to find where the hidden person is. 

“It’s just Jarvis. You won’t find him so stop looking around like a lost kitten,” Tony remarked. “Also Jarv, would you be a dear and give me a scan of this guy, I wanna see what he’s hiding.”

“Doing so as we speak,” Jarvis replied. 

“Good boy.” Tony turned his attention back to the stumbling ‘God’. “So you can either come quietly and tell me who you are, or I’ll get the information out of you by my tech. Your choice really, but there’s only one outcome, and I win.” 

The man seemed to contemplate this for a while before sighing heavily and sitting down on one of the lab stools heavily, like he’s been through the toughest journey of his life. Which he just might have. “I’m Loki Laufeyson. I’m the God of Mischief, from Asgard, you’d most likely know me because of my dear brother, Thor.” The man hissed certain words in his response and Tony had to remind himself to breathe. 

“Loki? The Norse God of Mischief, Loki?” Tony asks, his voice tight around the lump in his throat. 

“Did I not just say that?” Loki hissed again. 

“Sorry, it’s just. . . You’re real,” Tony said incredulously. At that the god’s lips quirked into a smile. 

“Quite, yes,” Loki responded. 

“Well what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back in Asgard doing. . . Whatever mischief gods do?” Tony asked. 

“I don’t need to tell you that,” Loki growled again. Man this guy was quick to anger. 

“Jarrrrrvis,” Tony stretched the word tauntingly. 

“Fine! I had a fight with my brother and we destroyed the Bifrost. I fell and somehow I managed to come here. That part I haven’t worked out yet,” Loki said before Jarvis could respond. 

“Wait a minute, why were you and Thor,” Oh my God he’s actually having a conversation with Thor’s brother, “fighting? And what’s a Bifrost?” 

“The story of Thor and I is much too long to tell now, and I don’t trust you enough to tell you even if it was short,” the Trickster said. “As for the Bifrost, mortals like yourself most likely know it as the ‘rainbow bridge’. Linking together the Nine Realms through Yggdrasil. And you seem to be a bit keen in on Norse so hopefully I don’t have to explain that as well.” 

“Yeah I studied it when I was a kid,” Tony says for no real reason other than to prove Loki right. “So can you still use magic?” 

Instantly there’s a shattering of glass behind Tony and he whirls around to see the glass doors shattering and crumbling to the floor. “Hey!” He screams, turning back around to face the deity, whose hands are glowing bright green. 

“Seems so, yes,” Loki said, twirling his fingers and watching as the magic danced across his hand.

“Don’t break anymore of my stuff!” Tony exclaimed and caught the wild grin that slowly spread across Loki’s face. Suddenly his image dispersed, leaving Tony alone, but only for a second before he showed up five feet away. The god looked down at himself questioningly then back up at Tony. “What are you trying to do?”

“I was trying to escape. I was hoping I’d be able to teleport myself out of this place but it seems my magic is too weak,” Loki said, his voice sad and angered at the same time. 

“Well don’t expect me to lend you a room,” Tony scoffed, walking over and sitting on one of the stools. 

“I wasn’t,” the Trickster deadpanned. “However, the only way for this to work is to either let me out on the street, with my powers, fully capable of bringing your world to its knees, or you could let me stay here for a while to gain my powers and then I’d be able to go back to Asgard.” 

Tony didn’t need to really think about that. He wasn’t going to let the most likely evil God of mischief wander through Malibu. He also really didn’t want to let him stay but that seemed like the only way for him to gain his powers back which would get him back to Asgard sooner. “Fine, you can stay. But you’re sleeping on the couch in my room so I can keep an eye on you.” 

“Couldn’t you just have your. . Jarvis watch over me?” The God asked, walking towards the hole in the wall where he’d shattered the glass. 

Tony bit his lip to not laugh at Loki’s tiptoeing around Jarvis. “No. Because if you’ve got magic then. . . You know what, I’m not going to tell you that. You’re staying in my room.” 

Loki let out a heavy exhale. “If you insist.” 

“Hold on, let me get out of this armor,“ he said and watched as the machines closed in on him, gradually taking off each bit of armor that covered his body. Loki watched curiously as he was being taken apart but said nothing and he was slightly surprised that Loki hadn’t questioned why this mortal was dressed in a metal Halloween costume. “Come on, I’ll show you the room,” Tony said and started walking ahead of Loki through the new opening, mentally cursing Loki for that. He was going to need to get it all cleaned up and redone so that no one could get in without passwords. 

Stupid deity. 

They walked up the stairs, passing the crashed piano and the hole in the flooring and in the ceiling that led all the way to the roof so that you could see the stars, and all the way down so you could see the remains of the Cobra. He cursed Loki again. He really liked that car. 

Up another flight of steps led them into Tony’s area, where there was a bar and some lounge chairs, a couch, and huge, wooden doors that led to Tony’s bedroom and bathroom. 

“I quite like this house, even though there are a few scraps here and there,” Tony heard Loki say from behind him and turned around to see him smirking. 

“Wipe that smirk off your face, you’re mostly the reason why the place looks like such a dump now,” Tony said, not trying to play nice. At. All. 

“Fair enough.” Tony opened the doors and walked into the lavish bedroom that was his second favorite room in the house, his first being the workshop/basement. The couch sat in the corner of the room, opposite the bed, and faced the window side wall. “Jarvis, lights.” Instantly the lights illuminated the room, and Tony walked over to the closet, pulling out some extra pillows and blankets and walking over to drop them on the couch. “Okay you’re all set. If you wake up before me tomorrow then don’t leave the room - as a matter of fact, Jarvis, lock down the room - and try not to wake me up.” 

Loki sat down on the couch, rubbing his hand over the imported silk blankets. “You will most likely wake before I, Stark.” 

Tony had to stop at that. “How did you know-”

“Oh come now. I’m a god, I know things,” Loki interrupted, smirking again. 

“Alright, well goodnight.” Tony walked over to his own bed and watched Loki lay down and pull one blanket over his thin, tall frame. “Jarvis, kill lights.”


	2. Singing You A Song

He wakes up to the obnoxious sunlight flowing through his windows. He forgot to close the blinds. Sitting up he sees that there’s a man laying curled tight inside of the thick sheets. He has to do a double take before he remembers that yeah, he’s got a god living in his house now.

“So it wasn’t a dream,” he murmurs to himself and slings his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the back of hand. The god is curled in his little cocoon and looks surprisingly innocent, especially compared to his snarling face. Which was actually quite terrifying.

 He stands up and starts to carefully walk out of the room, heading for coffee because he seriously needs it. Having the Norse God of Mischief on your couch in the morning is quite the wake-up call.

He gets out of the bedroom carefully, closing the door and then he doesn’t have to be careful. He had Jarvis sound proof his bedroom a _long_ time ago.

“No okay that really isn’t a necessity right now-” He hears the voice and internally screams at how awful his luck is. He turns the corner to the kitchen and sees the one and only Pepper Potts, her hair pulled back in a single braid, wearing that little dress suit that was probably one of ‘Tony’s’ birthday presents. She’s talking animatedly into the phone, probably to some stock holder or something. Recently he’d given Pepper over the company and he knows how hard she’s working and how stressed out she is. But she can handle it like she always does. She spins around and a small smile graces her face when she sees Tony. “I’m sorry, I have to go, I’ll call you back later.”

"Hey Pep, thanks for making coffee," Tony says as we walks over and plants a swift kiss to Pepper's cheek. 

 “Yeah well I’m not here because I was in the mood to cheer you up,” Pepper exhaled and it was probably meant to have much more venom leaked into it than it did.

“What’s up?” Tony asked, pouring his coffee and sort of forgetting that he has a God upstairs who could wake up any moment.

“Well first off I’d just like to say that I don’t understand how this company didn’t commit suicide when you were in charge. How did you ever manage to run a company when you did as little as you did?” Pepper asks incredulously.

“Confidence booster, thanks,” Tony says into his coffee mug. “Are you saying you regret agreeing to run the company?”

Pepper hesitated at that and then got her own cup of coffee. “No, it’s just. . . Difficult.”

“So did you come here for another purpose than to scold me?” Tony asked, sitting down on one of the barstools next to Pepper.

“Yes. Tony just don’t freak out alright?” Pepper said cautiously.

“Pepper what’s wrong?” Tony asked, now worried that something bad had happened.

Pepper didn’t answer, just held out her hand to show Tony the large diamond ring on her finger. “Happy and I.”

Tony was speechless. He’d known that Pepper was dating Happy but he didn’t really expect it to be more than a few dates. Guess he interpreted that wrong. “Oh, um, congrats Pepper! And you’re obviously paying Happy too much if he can afford that rock.”

Pepper chuckled lightly and smiled. “Maybe so. But I just thought I should tell you. You know, given our. . . History if you could even call it that.” Of course Pepper was referring to the three months they’d spent together. It was Tony’s longest relationship and he had missed it for a while but he’d gotten over her and they remained friends for which he was thankful.

“Pepper, we’ve moved on. I’m happy for you,” Tony said. Suddenly Tony heard a padding of feet on the stairs and closed his eyes tightly to endure the wrath that was most likely going to come. Pepper was staring in the direction, too. But what was Tony worried for really? She didn’t know who Loki was, and she’d seen him with men before, except that what appeared at the base of the stairs was something that made Tony have to suppress a gasp.

A beautiful woman came into view, long flowing black hair going all the way to her waist. She was dressed in nothing but the sheet. Tony could see the subtle hints of Loki in the woman’s body, especially in those green eyes.

“Hello dear,” She Loki said, her voice silky and seductive, sounding like Loki but also not like Loki. It was too high pitched to be Loki but there was that little whiff that Tony caught onto. She came over to kiss Tony feather lightly on the cheek then looked at Pepper. “Who’s this?”

“Um, I, uh, this is Pepper,” Tony said, pointing to Pepper who looked like she’d seen a ghost. Not used to seeing girls stay past the hour. Loki extended a hand, and Pepper shook it.

“Pepper Potts,” she responded, smiling kindly to the woman. “Alright, well I’ll be off then, see you later, Tony.”

She got up and left, casting a cocked eyebrow at Tony on her way out. As soon as she was gone, woman Loki was shifting back into man Loki form. “So the shape shifting thing is true huh?”

Loki chuckled and Tony was soon very aware that he was still only wearing a sheet. “Yes. I guessed that Miss. Potts would take more kindly to a woman appearing than a man?” Loki phrased it as a question.

“You couldn’t have just stayed upstairs?” Tony asked, sipping at his cool coffee.

“I am not a dog, I won’t be locked away in your room,” Loki hissed and Tony could sense that there was some underlying thing that the God wasn’t revealing about being locked away. “What is this drink?” Loki pointed to the coffee pot.

“Coffee. You don’t have this in Asgard?” Tony asked, not understanding why he was so surprised.

“No. Most of our fast breaks consist of wild boar and ale,” Loki responded with a shrug.

“Well as marvelous as a wild boar at nine am sounds, you’re missing out.” Tony stood and got out another coffee cup, filling it with the nectar and handing it to Loki who sipped at it carefully.

“It is acceptable,” Loki said with a small smile. They were quiet, drinking their coffees.

“So can you shape shift into anything?” Tony asked suddenly, needing to break the silence.

Loki looked surprised at the question but then nodded. “Yes, anything I need to I may become.”

“Wow, that sounds awesome,” Tony said with a slight chuckle.

Loki shrugged nonchalantly. “It takes much concentration and power to do so, even for such a short period of time. I will need food and rest if you’ll be needing me to shift again.” Loki took another sip of coffee.

“I don’t think I’ll need it,” Tony said. “So how’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” Loki deadpanned.

“Any plans for today?”

Loki shot him a glance that he couldn’t quite place. “Do you honestly think I have _plans?_ ” The god hissed the last word.

“No, I was just making conversation,” Tony said innocently and the deity lessened his gaze.

“I will most likely need clothing if I am going to be staying here for a great duration-”

“Whoa, whoa, great duration? Don’t think you’re gonna be inhabiting this house for a long time, otherwise you’re paying rent,” Tony said. He really wasn’t going to make Loki pay the rent, who was he kidding, he had enough money to buy Loki a new house.

“No matter the length of my stay I will need new clothing. The armor is wonderful for battle and defense but becomes quite heavy and difficult to carry,” Loki said.

“Ah.”

They were quiet for a bit before Loki spoke again. “What can you tell me about your Norse mythology? I must admit I’m curious to see how much the mortals actually have correct.”

Tony started a bit at the unexpected question. He really didn’t know too much but he knew far more about Loki than any other figure. He’d frankly always been fascinated with the God ever since he was a child. He even remembers that he had a kid in his kindergarten class who’s name was Loki and they’d become friends because he reminded him so much of the God of Mischief. It was a bit embarrassing to be sitting right next to the God who he’d practically idolized all through his childhood. He definitely wasn’t going to tell him that, though.

“Well I know the most about you and Thor. Odin I never really cared for, Idun’s apples, Heimdall, Frigga. . . Hel.” He paused at the name, knowing that Hel was supposedly Loki’s daughter.

At the name Loki’s eyes widened a bit. “What do they say of my lovely daughter?”

“That she’s the ruler of Helheim, land of the dead, collects souls. Has half of her body a beautiful woman, the other a corpse.”

“Ah, yes, my dear daughter,” Loki said absently.

“Just to be sure, how many children do you actually have?” Tony couldn’t help but ask. Loki was quite the, uh, to use the expression, Tony Stark of Norse mythology.

Loki smirked and pierced Tony with his emerald eyes. “Tell me which you know and I will tell you if they are true.”

Tony had to think for a bit, remembering each of Loki’s children, which was the variety let me tell you. “Well there’s Sleipner, the eight legged horse who Odin now has.” Loki nodded. “And then Hel, Jormungandr, the Midgardian snake, and Fenrir, the giant wolf.” Loki nodded three times for each of the children. “And Narfi and Vali, you’re children with your wife, Sigyn.” Loki nodded.

“I must say I am quite impressed with the amount that the mortals actually know,” Loki said.

“Hey that’s a bit insulting,” Tony defended the whole human race there. Be thankful.

“Is it?” Loki remarked and he was good. No wonder they call him Silvertongue.

“Fair enough.”

Loki smirked again. “And what of me?”

Tony didn’t really know what to say. He’d read so many different things about Loki that it was hard for him to think of the ones he believed the most. “You’re the God of Mischief and Lies, you are-”

“And Fire,” Loki interrupted, looking at Stark as if he should have known. Tony didn’t continue so Loki explained. “I’m also the God of Fire.”

“Oh, see I didn’t know that,” Tony said. “You’re Odin’s adopted brother, Thor’s uncle-”

“False, I was led to believe I was Thor’s brother and Odin’s son. However that information turned out to be nothing but frail lies as well,” Loki growled, not so much at Tony but at his own words.

“Okay, you have lots of children. You were married to Sigyn and you had sex with a horse,” Tony concluded because it was all he could think of right now.

Loki laughed at the ending and shrugged to himself. “Again I am surprised. You mortals are possibly more evolved than I was led to believe.”

“Thanks,” Tony deadpanned.

“You are more evolved, Stark. From what I have seen anyway. You take science into your own hands, you create, you build. . . You destroy,” Loki said. Tony physically flinched at the memories of being the Merchant of Death. “Do you believe in magic, Stark?”

“No,” Tony answered quickly. He believed science could explain it.

At that Loki raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Oh? Ever after I destroyed your precious glass doors?”

“I believe in science. I believe that science is the root of magic, that magic is a mask that the more complicated science hides behind to make people go insane with wonder and the want for knowledge,” Tony explained.

Loki hesitated at that. “You are smart, Anthony Stark. I must ask what is the device inside your chest?”

Tony looked down at the arc reactor. “It’s an electromagnet. I was kidnapped by terrorists and I got shrapnel in my system. This thing keeps it from entering my heart.” He tapped it a few times.

“So it is science that keeps you alive then. It is science that you see when you look at yourself in the mirror,” Loki said. “What of luck?”

“Don’t believe in it. I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason and that your life is laid out. I don’t believe your path is chosen before you’re born. I believe you make the path. If anything, I make my own luck,” Tony said.

Loki nodded once and stood from his chair. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m sure a shower would do me some good, now.”

Tony nodded and waved a hand for him to leave, watching as the sheet wrinkled and bunched in certain places on the God’s body. Tony sat and let the thoughts of the conversation unfurl inside his brain. Loki was good to talk to on this stuff. He reminded him of himself that way. Testing for the full truth and answers to difficult questions. Pushing until they got the answer they wanted. Twisting words to form new accusations and hypothesis.

Never in Tony’s life did he feel like he’d understood someone better.


	3. No Remedy For Memory

He stumbles around for a bit, trying to figure out exactly how to turn on this rather large shower. It’s bigger than any shower he’s seen in Asgard, even in the Princes’ court. He turns one of the knobs and steaming, burning water comes out of the faucet, perhaps this will do.

He drops the sheet on the floor and steps into the shower once he’s turned it on so the hot water is flowing through the shower head. He lets himself change into his Jotun form, knowing that it’s easier for him to gain his power back if he’s in his natural state. The burning water is delightfully contrast from his ice cold, deep blue skin and he relaxes into the feeling of fire and ice.

Leaning his face against the warm wall, he lets the water flow down his back, heating every inch of ice on him. He can feel his powers growing again, knows he’s getting stronger but possibly he should stay longer than necessary. Stark is quite the interesting mortal, more interesting than other he’s ever crossed. Possibly the man can offer him information that he wants, for what he doesn’t know yet. And the combination of his magic and Stark’s science could make quite a fearsome duo.

He smiled against the tile at the thought of Tony dressed in Asgardian armor. Loki reminded himself to ask Tony what his suit was. He didn’t know why he hadn’t asked sooner. The man was flying through the sky in tin. It was odd to put it lamely.

After all his muscles were thoroughly relaxed because of the heat, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, finding a towel on a nearby wrack and wrapping it around his waist. As he walked past the mirror in the bathroom he caught a glimpse of himself in his true form and cursed himself for changing into it.

_

“So I’m no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?”

“Why do you twist my words?”

“You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn’t you?”

“You’re my son, I wanted only to protect you from the truth.”

“What, because I’m the monster who parents tell their children about at night?”

_

He relived his conversation with Odin over and over ever since he’d heard it. He couldn’t stand to look at himself this way. This _monster_ pure and simple. Unrecognizable red eyes stared back at him, watched as he lifted a hand to brush against his ice cold, blue cheek, tracing the raised skin that curled around him. He couldn’t take it anymore.

He shot his hand out in front of him, spraying the mirror with green magic and watching as it shattered into a million pieces, making his image disappear. He let himself change back slowly, watching the blue being chased away by the pale on his hands and arms and torso and finally his head. He could feel his eyes depleting of the red and turning to the striking green.

_

The monster parents tell their children about at night.

_

He takes in a shaky breath, trying to calm himself before he breaks something else, for which Tony would surely kick him out. Bracing himself he walks out of the room and into the master bedroom, seeing that laying on the bed are some clothes, a green long sleeved shirt and black trousers. He smiled to himself, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

~*~

Tony heard the mirror shatter when he was placing clothes on the bed for Loki, but he didn’t dare bring it up when the God came back down the stairs, looking so much thinner in these clothes.

“Everything alright?” Tony asked carefully, like walking close to a crazed lion - or in this case a black panther would probably be most fitting - and trying not to get too close or aggravate it.

“Fine, why?” Loki growled, his tone back to it’s old anger instead of the seemingly nice way he’d been talking only an hour ago.

“You seem a bit. . . Tense is all,” Tony tried.

“Are you this personal with all your house guests?” Loki hissed and Tony raised his hands defensively.

“Hey, no need to get snippy I was just asking,” Tony shot back. What had happened to Loki in the shower to make him become so bitchy?

“Well then learn to hold your tongue!” Loki said, his voice rising in anger.

“You want me to kick you out right now? The fate of mankind be damned, you want me to set you out on the street? If not, stop acting like such a jerk!” Tony said, matching Loki’s volume.

Loki seemed to emotionally crumble at that but before he let anything serious show through he shook his head, relieving himself of the emotion that overcame him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Tony said. And it was. Tony knew what it was like to have those moments of just pure anger and hatred. He just wanted to know why so suddenly.

“May I tell you a story? If you promise to keep it between ourselves?” Loki whispered and that got Tony surprised. But he wanted to know more so he nodded. Loki took a deep breath before continuing. “I told you that I was led to believe I was Odin’s son and Thor’s brother but that turned out to be a lie.” Tony nodded. “Until very recently I believed that to be true. I believed that I belonged in the royal court of Asgard. But only months ago maybe, in your time, I found out that I was adopted, and that my father was the ruler of Jotunheim, the land-”

“Frost Giants,” Tony finished. Loki nodded.

“Yes. I was the bastard son of Laufey, left to die until Odin found me, and took me in as his own. I was fed stories about my people as a child, forced to understand that they were monsters and killers and to fear them all.” Loki shook his head in disgust. “And then to find out I was one of them, it just. . . I went mad. That’s the only way to describe it. Madness. I tried to destroy all of Jotunheim, I thought it would please my father that I destroyed the race of monsters. Instead my brother saved the day and destroyed the Bifrost, flinging me into the great abyss that the destruction did. And that’s how I fell from the sky. I must have gotten sucked through some portal to arrive here.”

“I heard thunder before I went out in the suit,” Tony said. Loki nodded again.

“Thor’s anger,” Loki answered simply.

“I’m sorry,” Tony found himself saying. Loki’s attention was caught and he made eye contact with Tony, raising an eyebrow lightly.

“For what?” Loki asked, true curiosity in his voice.

“For what happened to you. No one should have to go through that,” Tony said. Loki laughed shortly and humorlessly.

“Have you read any tales of my punishments? My tortures? You’d be more into the words you speak if you did,” Loki said.

“Didn’t you have your lips sewn shut?” Tony asked carefully.

Loki pointed to his lips and Tony moved closer. Yup, you could barely see them but they were there, little tiny scars where the stitches pierced the skin over and over again, tracing all the way across his lips. “How did you survive? How did you eat?”

Loki dropped his hand. “I didn’t eat. The only excuse for my survival was my immortality.”

“That’s awful, Loki,” Tony said, moving back into the sofa for comfort.

“Yes,” Loki said. They were quiet for a while, not making eye contact. “Sorry about your mirror.”

Tony smiled slightly. “It’s alright, I’ll get another one.”

Loki returned the smile gently. “Thank you for listening.”

Tony looked over the God for a moment, realizing that he was really just misunderstood. That was all there was to it. “Thank you for telling.”

Loki stood and planted one swift kiss onto Tony’s forehead before turning and going back up the stairs, leaving Tony with a million unanswered questions.


	4. It Won't Leave My Head

Is it some sort of goodbye ritual for Gods?

A show of gratitude?

Maybe a thank you?

All these and more ran through Tony’s head after the Trickster left, leaving him with a mild headache and a glass of scotch. Why would Loki kiss him of all things? I mean a handshake, sure, gratitude, a good ol’ thanks for listening and not just labeling me as a monster. Maybe even a hug if he was really audacious, but a kiss? It just didn’t fit together right.

Tony had to admit that ever since the God got here he’d had a mild attraction to him. I mean how can you not? He’s gorgeous, mysterious, dangerous, only one of which Tony finds in his usual partners. But he’d be stupid to even think about acting on it. To even consider thinking about it actually. But now that he can feel Loki’s thin lips against the creases of his forehead he can’t help himself from thinking about it.

Probably just a show of thanks. The god is a bit intimate after all.

Tony started to wonder when was the last time Loki could just sit down with someone and not be judged by what he said or did. It sounded so clichéd but Loki was seriously just misunderstood. Tony got him. Tony understood why he did what he did because if the roles were flipped, Tony probably would have ended up doing the exact same things.

He was just someone looking for the approval of his father. Plain and simple.

He sipped at his scotch, trying desperately to get these asinine things out of his brain. Soon Loki was going to have his full power abilities back, and then he’d go back to Asgard most likely. Show up at Thor’s front doorstep with a basket of mini muffins and explain that he actually didn’t die when he fell.

He wondered if Thor was everything Tony expected, like Loki had been. Thor’s loud and irritating and self-righteous and most of all ignorant, and Loki’s quiet and collected and smart and dangerous and mischievous and a liar. Really Loki should have kind of had a clue that he wasn’t related by blood to the royal family.

He finished off his scotch and decided to go down to the workshop, maybe work on Mark VI. Loki would find entertainment upstairs and hopefully wouldn’t blow anything else up.

He was in the middle of adding night vision to the suit when he heard a knock over the blasting of AC/DC. “Mute,” he commanded and the music stopped. He turned around to find Loki standing at the door awkwardly, his long legs crossed and his arms folding gently across his chest. “Let him in, Jarvis.”

There was a click of the lock and the door opened, letting Loki walk in. “I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he said, walking over to the glass counter Tony was working at.

“Oh, no. I was just working on improving the suit,” Tony said, dropping his tools to the table and relaxing into his chair. “What’s up?”

“I don’t understand,” Loki said and Tony tried not to laugh.

“Sorry, how is it going?” Tony cleared up, guess he’d have to work on his Earth lingo.

“I got quite bored upstairs, you’re room is extravagant but lacks the home feel,” Loki stated.

“I only sleep up there. This is where most of my stuff is.” Tony raised an arm as if to scan the room and Loki looked around, pausing at objects that caught his attention.

“You’re suit is very fascinating, might I ask why you built it?” Loki said, walking closer and sitting on the edge of the glass desk.

Tony hesitated, not sure if he really wanted to get into all the details, but obliged because Loki had told him his story. Might as well repay the favor. “I was captured by terrorists about a year ago. I was held in captivity for three months. Obadiah Stane was dealing under the table and selling these people my weapons, causing so much destruction and death. I built the suit so that I could escape. They wanted me to build the Jericho missile and instead I made a much bulkier version of this.” Tony patted the leg of the suit. “After I was rescued I made the choice to never make weapons again. Wreaked a lot of havoc, caused the stocks to go down, caused my best friends to find reasons to leave me, but I knew I was doing the right thing.” Tony turned to see Loki staring intently at him, clinging onto his every word. Tony smiled lightly, and shrugged. “Obadiah Stane tried to kill me with the very technology and machinery that I’d created. I killed him with the power of this,” he pointed to his arc reactor. “I had a big one and Pepper overrode it, it exploded and killed Obadiah with it.”

There was a pause. “We are quite alike, you and I. We both have very shattered pasts,” Loki said.

Tony shrugged again. “I guess you could say that. I’ve also got some pretty big problems with my father.” Tony laughed humorlessly.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Loki asked quietly but Tony shook his head before the question was finished.

“No. One painful memory is enough for one day,” Tony said and Loki nodded in understanding. They didn’t speak for what seemed like forever and neither made eye contact. Loki let a small green, smoky snake appear in his hand and let it slither across his fingers, twining up his palm and then curling around his wrist and the back of his hand.

“My magic is coming back quickly. I should be able to leave in a few days,” Loki said quietly and the snake dispersed in a puff of black smoke. “That is if I can get Heimdall to let me back. With the Bifrost destroyed I don’t know how they’ll manage to transport people from realm to realm.”

“Oh,” was all Tony said and he didn’t know why it sounded so sad. He should be happy that the deity was leaving. He could get back to his normal way of things. But he hated to admit that he was going to miss the God a lot more than he probably should.

“I want to thank you again for your hospitality. Not all would be as kind to let a God stay in their home,” Loki said with a weak smile in his voice and Tony laughed shortly.

“Well, a lot of people aren’t Tony Stark.” Suddenly there was a slight clash out lightning outside the window and Tony looked out, finding the darkness shocking, not realizing until now how late it actually was. “You’re brother?”

Loki nodded curtly. “He is searching for me.”

“Will he find you?” Tony asked curiously.

“Most likely not. Possibly he has found a way to get into Midgard without the use of the Bifrost but it would be exceptional on his behalf. He is most likely in Jotunheim, if Odin told him of my true heritage,” Loki said.

“So he believes you survived, then?” Tony asked.

“He probably does not believe it, but he is determined. He will look because it’s the only thing he can do,” Loki said.

“Sounds like he loves you,” Tony said and regretted it the second the God’s green eyes pierced him.

“My brother is a fool. He does not understand the actions he does and he is as much to blame as Odin for my wrongdoings. He is an imbecile and he loves more than he should. He shouldn’t look for me when he believes me to be dead. It will only break his heart more,” Loki hissed.

“At least he cares enough to look for you. Even if he knows you’re gone at least he’s attempting to find you,” Tony said, defensively for Thor because he’d be glad if someone was the devoted to look for him no matter what. Hell, he _was_ glad that someone had devoted themselves to finding him.

“Do not speak of things you know nothing about, Tony Stark.” Loki’s voice was low and dangerous and Tony could see the slight green fizzling on his fingertips. He knew he shouldn’t push it, he _knew_ he shouldn’t, but he did anyways.

“I think I know more about this than you think, okay? I may just be a mortal, and I may not measure up in your eyes but I’m actually a lot smarter than you’re giving me credit for. Stop acting like you’re the only one here who can figure out people’s brains and how they function, because they don’t call me a genius for nothing,” Tony said and Loki bared his teeth, growling like an animal in heat and sending a shiver down Tony’s spine. He’d never seen Loki so animalistic and crazed and he was seriously afraid the God would attack him.

And he did.

He felt the ice cold hand curl around his neck and his feet being lifted off the ground before he even realized Loki had gotten that close to him. He could breathe only slightly, Loki wasn’t going to kill him. Not yet anyway.

“You think you know? You think you understand at all? You don’t. I never questioned you were a genius, or could figure out the inner workings of people, but for this, you do not know. You do not know what it’s like to have someone love you so much and not love you at all at the same time. It’s possible and Thor masters it beautifully. He says he loves me, he says he cares, he looks for me when he knows I’m lost, but he is the opposite of it all. And you would never understand that,” Loki said and dropped his hand from Tony’s neck, letting the man crumbling on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

He buried his face in his arm and tried to regain his breath. When he looked up again, Loki was gone.


	5. It's Like A Dark Paradise

Tony slept in the workshop that night. He didn’t want to risk going up to his room that soon after the argument. He felt bad actually for making Loki so mad, but he didn’t know why. Maybe Loki was right and he never would understand this type of thing, he had never had to endure it himself. Maybe he felt bad because he kept pushing when he knew he shouldn’t.

He didn’t want to upset Loki, in fact he wanted to do the exact opposite. He wanted to let Loki in, let him know that he’s not alone and let him know that he’s wanted and appreciated even if Odin and Thor didn’t realize it. Tony had read enough Norse in his life to know that Loki deserved better than he got, and knowing him these few days only made his reasoning stronger.

Loki was like a lost puppy, even though that seems so false, he was. He just got taken in, bullied around and not loved like he should all through his life, was fed stories about his true people that were most likely false and then found out he was one of them after he was already tainted with lies. It made Tony’s heart break a little.

_Maybe I should apologize._ He thought, but he decided it could wait until the morning, and pulled out his emergency air mattress from one of his drawers, blowing it up and going into a difficult night.

 

~*~

Loki stormed up to the bedroom, using his full strength to slam the door behind him, hoping that Stark wouldn’t follow him. He throws himself onto the couch, not about to get into Tony’s bed, avoiding the pile of folded up blankets and sheets. He didn’t mean to overreact, it’s just that the subject of Thor is very. . . Complicated, and personal. And most of all, difficult to fathom if you’re not living it.

He buries the heel of his palm over his eyes and enjoys the darkness, letting it soothe his nerves. _The sooner I can leave the better,_

He flips onto his stomach and listens as the sound of thunder starts to fade in the background. Of course Thor is searching, he’s his brother, that doesn’t change anything or make Loki feel any better. He wonders if Odin has told anyone else about his true parentage or not. Most likely he told Thor, maybe Sif, the Warriors Three, who knows. Heimdall, too. That posses another question though, how exactly is he going to get back to Asgard? The Bifrost is destroyed, meaning that there can be no moving between realms, but there must be some ways for him to get back. Maybe the secret passages he knows of he can still use, but that will make a lot of questions arise. But how is Thor traveling? He buries his face deeper into his pillow. He hates not knowing how to do things or how things are working.

He wills himself to sleep, craves it so much, he needs it so badly. And eventually it falls upon, blanketing him in darkness.

~*~

Over the next few days nothing much happened. Tony and Loki shared hardly more than a few words, tiptoeing around each other like they were going to make the other upset.

Tony left Loki alone for a few hours because he had to be at a meeting Pepper insisted he be present at. Loki spent that day with an Origami kit that Tony had bought him for entertainment.

He was finishing the Midgardian animal of a penguin when Tony came back home. Loki made dinner that night, much to Tony’s surprise. It was Tortellini with cheese and herbs and vegetables and it was delicious. Tony had to remind himself to have Loki cook more. Loki told him over the dinner table that he had his full powers back, but now needed to find a way to return to Asgard. The list was short of possible ways.

They started sleeping in the same room again, Tony would wake up earlier than Loki and watch the God curled up in his blanket, still only his eye lids, forehead, and hair visible over the white river of sheets. He’d smile to himself about how much younger and more peaceful he looked when he was asleep. Of course, Tony’d never tell Loki that he watched him while he was sleeping.

For some reason Loki was always facing Tony when he was asleep, and Tony didn’t want to let himself think that it was because Loki was watching him, too.

Along with other things, Tony’s feelings grow deeper. On day eight he accidentally ran into Loki walking out of the shower, only a towel wrapped around his waist, his pale chest glistening with water droplets, his black hair wet and curling against his shoulder. Tony apologized quickly and hoped that Loki didn’t catch the redness that blossomed onto his cheeks.

On the tenth day he found him playing Pyramid Solitaire in the living room, smiling when he wins and flipping the cards angrily when he doesn’t. Tony was glad that Pepper had come over only a few days earlier and taught him how to play, otherwise he’d be bored a lot. They’d explained to Pepper that the woman in the sheet was actually Loki, and that he was the God of Mischief. Pepper laughed herself silly at first but when the two men didn’t crack a smile she believed them. The secret stayed between the three of them, but Tony could tell that Pepper was a bit cautious around Loki. She knew some of the stories. She knew Loki was capable of some pretty messed up stuff. Tony had sent her out to buy some new clothes for Loki, since until this point he had been wearing Tony’s old sweats and Black Sabbath shirts.

He just watched him from behind the stairs, enjoying the quiet and the fact that Loki hasn’t seen him. The God was so content, sitting there in a new pair of black skinny jeans and green sweater Pepper picked out for him. Tony made his way back down the stairs after an hour.

On the eleventh day Pepper shows up unexpectedly while Tony’s in the shower and Loki lets her in, smiling when he sees her. They’d taken quite a liking to one another. Tony came down the stairs with his hair wet and Pepper led him into the kitchen to talk to him in private.

“Tony,” she deadpanned, staring at him and wiping away the drop of water that fell onto his shoulder.

“Pepper,” Tony says in the same tone. “I’m sorry but you’ve gotta give me more than that.”

Pepper sighed and shook her head calmly. “Don’t think I don’t notice how you look at him, Tony. I’ve known you forever and I know that look you get when you like someone.”

Tony could feel a blush coming on but controlled it. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Pep.”

“Tony, don’t play with me. I just want to make sure you don’t get too attached, alright? And be careful, because Loki’s dangerous. Even you must see that he’s got that danger side to him.”

“Pepper, there’s no way the guy likes me anyway. I’m just a mortal to him. Don’t worry I won’t do anything stupid,” Tony said.

“I wish I could believe you,” she replied.

She left after that, and Loki pulled a confused look at Tony for the short visit and abrupt departure. “Paperwork,” he said and Loki nodded, turning his head back to the William Shakespeare paperback that Tony didn‘t know he had.

After a few more days they started to talk more normally like they’d used to. Loki tells him stories from Asgard about Thor and Sif and the Warriors Three. Tells him of the journeys he and Thor used to go on and the trip to Nornheim when Loki helped them escape.

“Thor will tell you that he is the one who helped us escape, but he’s lying,” Loki had explained and Tony smiled.

Tony told him stories about his father and Loki would console him by placing a hand on his shoulder. The contact drove Tony nuts and it was getting harder to ignore what his mind kept telling him he wanted.

On the twelfth night, Tony felt a body creep into bed next to him, curling up against his chest.

“Loki?” Tony asked sleepily, not sure if he was dreaming or not.

“I had a nightmare,” Loki said plainly and Tony understood. It sounded childish but it really wasn’t. Tony had nightmares, too, and he wished he had someone there to hold him and let them know that everything was alright.

So he curled an arm around the God hesitantly, not knowing for sure if Loki was really wanting to get that comfortable or not, but the Trickster didn’t move away or shrug him off. “It’s all okay now,“ Tony whispered to the top of Loki’s head. Loki responded by curling in closer to Tony and snuggling his head beneath his chin. They fell asleep soundly after that.

When Tony woke up the next day the God wasn’t curled next to him, so he got up and walked down the stairs, smelling bacon and eggs. Loki stood in the kitchen cooking breakfast and Tony smiled to himself.

They had a good meal, the bacon and eggs were delicious and Tony congratulated him on making something so good. Loki responded with, “I’m a God.”

~*~

After breakfast Loki goes into the living room and finishes off the Edgar Allen Poe book he’s been reading. Tony went down to the basement so Loki walks over to the large piano that has been replaced since Tony’s little accident with the suit. He starts playing a small tune when he hears the thunder that he hasn’t heard in a while. It’s close, too close, and Loki stops playing instantly, listening.

He hears the thunder again, a little louder this time, and knows that Thor is definitely not in Asgard anymore. And he’s not in Jotunheim, either. Where is he? He hears it again and it’s much too close for comfort. He’s in Midgard.

Loki stands up and runs down the stairs to the workshop, finding Tony tinkering around with his suit, the music far too loud for him to hear if he knocks. He laughs quietly to himself when he needs to break the glass Tony just had replaced to get in to warn him. The cracking and breaking of the glass gets Tony’s attention and he mutes the music, looking up at Loki through his goggles.

“Loki? What the hell I just got that replaced,” Tony said, taking the goggles off of his eyes.

“This is urgent,” Loki deadpanned, hearing the thunder again and walking up to Tony. “Thor is here.”

“What?” Tony was amazed he could make his voice sound that surprised. Yeah, it was that astonished.

“Do I need to spell it for you? Thor is here, on Midgard. He must be searching all the Nine Realms.”

“And?” Tony asked.

“And, he knows I am here. If we are in close enough to each other we can sense the others presence. He’s close now, he knows that I’m here,” Loki said, irritated that Tony was so slow right now.

“Isn’t that a good thing? Can’t he take you back to Asgard?” Tony asked and he heard how sad his voice sounded. He didn’t want Loki to leave.

Loki pondered that for a moment. Did he even want to go back? If he went back he’d have to deal with Odin and Thor again. If he stayed he’d be with Tony until Tony got fed up and kicked him out. Either way he needed to decide quickly, the thunder was rumbling the walls.

“I do not know if that is better. I do not know if I want to return there,” Loki said humbly. Tony raised an eyebrow.

“You want to stay here?” Tony asked and had to shoot the thought of Loki wanting to stay because of him from his mind. It was ludicrous. . . Right?

“I do not know,” Loki said exasperatedly, and he didn’t. He truly had no idea what he was going to do. He didn’t like the feeling.

There was loud clash on the roof and Loki jumped lightly. “Well, you’d better decide quick. Your ride is here.”

“LOKI!” Thor screamed from upstairs and Loki closed his eyes, letting magic swirl around him and then Thor appeared, sensing his power. “Brother!” Thor cried and ran to Loki, encasing him in a large hug. “Brother, how did you survive?!”

“Hello to you, too, Thor,” Loki sneered and didn’t embrace his brother in the slightest. “How did you find me?”

“Answer me first, brother, how did you survive?” Thor said seriously, releasing Loki and stepping back a few feet.

“I do not know, Thor. There must have been some sort of portal connecting Asgard to Midgard that I fell through. Then Tony Stark caught me as I was falling.” Loki motioned back to Tony, who he was sure Thor hadn’t noticed until now.

“Tony Stark of Midgard, I thank you for saving my brother,” Thor said, and smiled in thanks to Tony, who returned it with a curt nod. He was having trouble treating Thor too nicely. “Now, as for your question, brother, you do not honestly believe you are the only one who sees these passages between realms? I went around asking citizens if they knew of any and finally, one did. I searched all over the Nine Realms for you, brother.”

“I’m flattered, Thor,” Loki said shortly. He knew Thor wasn’t going to wait forever to take him back, he knew what awaited him was most likely punishment from Odin for his crimes against Jotunheim, imprisonment. Is that really what he wanted? Or possibly he’d be welcomed back with open arms, maybe the Asgardians would realize why he’d done what he had, maybe they’d give him a chance.

“Well, come brother, let’s take you home.” Thor smiled hopefully at Loki and Loki looked at him, then Tony, Thor, Tony, Thor, Tony. To use the Midgardian phrase, this sucked.

But he knew what he had to do. He didn’t even know if Tony felt the same as he did, so why hope for something that could easily not be true? “Alright.” Loki nodded to Tony and walked over, pulling him into a hug. “Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Anthony Stark, I am forever in your debt.” Loki released him and smiled weakly at Tony.

“Thank you for staying,” Tony replied, and he hated the lump in his throat. There was noooo way he was going to cry. Loki nodded again and returned to his brother.

“Let’s go home, Thor.”

 


	6. Won't Move On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone :) I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but it's short and I'm currently working on chapter seven right now, which will be longer!! So here you go, have a short chapter :)

The house was lonely after that. Tony didn’t know how Thor managed to return Loki to Asgard, and he didn’t ask. He just remembered seeing Thor take hold of his brothers arm and fling the mighty hammer, Mjolnir into the sky, making them fly away.

Tony hated the feeling of missing something that he could never get back, and he hadn’t even had Loki in the first place. Why is this driving me so insane?

Pepper stopped by whenever she had time, and Tony explained to her how Thor had come and taken him away. Pepper offered him a sad smiled and rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry, Tony," she'd said before she had to rush off to a meeting.

_I am forever in your debt,_ He’d said. Did that mean he knew that they’d be seeing each other again? Tony hadn’t expected a repayment for letting Loki stay with him, but if Loki was offering - and Tony suspected there was some sort of noble thing about debts for Asgardians - he wasn’t going to refuse.

 

After a few days he admitted to himself that he truly missed Loki. That resulted in some alcohol in the workshop which eventually led to Tony getting ridiculously wasted, which led to Tony singing a very out of tune song with Jarvis, which led to Tony laughing himself silly that he could actually get his AI to sing with him, which led to him falling over one of the glass work tables, shattering it, and cutting open his hand pretty badly.

All of this resulted in a nasty hangover and a very bloody hand the next day.

He woke up with the killer headache and all his limbs felt like they were dislodged from his body. Maybe he was floating. His throat felt dry and heavy and he walked carefully into the bathroom to get some water. There were no cups so he settled for just dunking his head under the sink and gulping up as much of the icy water as he possibly could, letting it flow over his head and cool his headache.

He faintly remembered Pepper telling him that he had something he needed to attend today, but if it was really that important she’d have called and reminded him. Moving his head away from the sink, he went for a towel, wrapping it around his head and heading for the stairs. He passed the broken window and remembered that Loki had indeed broken another one of his things.

And he’d just gotten it fixed, too.

He had nothing to do, he was bored, and tired, and his head still stung but not as badly as before. He redid the bandages on his hand and had to divert his eyes when he saw how deep the cut actually was. There were a few smaller scrapes littering up Tony’s arms but none of them needed any attention.What a night.

"Jarvis what happened last night?" Tony asked quietly, trying to dull his headache.

Jarvis didn’t respond, just showed Tony the footage. He was holding a rather large bottle of whiskey in one hand, and an even larger bottle of scotch in the other, merrily dancing around the room, planting kisses on his cars as he passed them. “Jar-is, gimme Frirework by Catie Purry,” he slurred and the music started. It was difficult to watch, let’s put it that way. After a few threats to donate Jarvis to a city college, the AI proceeded to sing along with Tony.

“I must admit, you have a very lovely voice,” Tony told him when the footage ended with him screaming obscenities about his hand.

“Thank you, sir,” Jarvis responded unenthusiastically.

“Is there anything for me to do today, Jarv? I’m bored already.”

“Nothing is planned for today, sir, but Miss. Potts has informed me that you must be present at a ball in a week.”

“Great,” Tony huffed and went to work aimlessly on his suit.

~*~

The trip back to Asgard was faster than Loki expected it to be. Turns out it was through one of his favorite portals, and they returned to the castle. Loki was thankful when Thor didn’t take him straight to the Allfather, instead he took him to his chambers, where Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were seated.

****

“My friends! Most joyous of news I bring! I return with my brother,” Thor motioned to Loki and the black haired man wished he could have taken a picture of the Warriors faces.

“Loki? We thought you dead?” An astonished Sif said, standing and walking to Loki’s side. Loki and Sif had never been on the best of terms, but they didn’t entirely despise each other. Loki had found her quite a worthy opponent when they were younger and would often fight with her.

“I thought myself dead, Lady Sif,” Loki responded with a weak smile.

“But how?” Fandral spoke up and stood behind Sif.

“I fell through a portal leading me into Midgard. A mortal named Anthony Stark looked after me until Thor found me,” Loki explained.

“You stayed with a mortal? You of all people?” Volstagg the Voluminous said. Volstagg had always been Loki’s least favorite of Thor’s friends, mostly because he was piggish, loud, voluminous, and had overall low hygiene. Was there really any more needed?

“Yes. Turns out the promise of life does go quite a ways,” Loki said, irritated at Volstagg’s insinuation of ’You of all people?’

Volstagg nodded as if he’d gotten all the information he desired and they were quiet for a moment before the least likely to speak, spoke. “What is Midgard like?” Hogun asked from where he was still sitting, sharpening his sword.

Loki was surprised by Hogun’s question and was forced to think about it for a minute or two. The thing he’d liked most about Midgard, was indeed the mortal with whom he’d stayed. Anthony Stark hadn’t left his thoughts since he left him and it was unsettling. “I didn’t have a good look around, actually. I stayed mostly within the confines of Mister Stark’s home.”

Hogun nodded in understanding and said nothing more. Sif turned to Loki and smiled gently. “Well, it’s good to have you back!”

“Thank you, Lady Sif. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ll have to excuse myself. I’ve had a long couple of weeks and I wish to rest,” Loki said, looking at Thor to make sure that his brother would leave him to his peace.

“Of course, brother.” Thor nodded and let Loki walk up to his bedroom, which all through his life had been his sanctuary. The only place he could do and be and say whatever he needed or wanted to. The only place he felt excepted was here. Alone.

The room looked exactly as it had the last time he’d seen it and he let out a sigh of relief that no one had been inside. Unlike the rest of the rooms in Asgard’s castle, Loki’s walls were green emerald instead of gleaming gold. He’d always hated the color gold, actually. He’d always been more of a green person. It was the hue his magic took on, the color of his eyes, and his armors. Also unlike the rest of the castle, Loki’s bed was black instead of white, covered in small black diamonds that were encrusted into the comforters. The sheets were made of the softest hairs of the giant wolves of Svartalfheim. Loki loved this place and for a moment he was almost happy that he was home, even though he hated referring to Asgard as his home, he couldn’t even deny himself that it was.

He sat down on the bed and let his mind wander to Tony over and over again and he hated that he had no control over the man in his brain. Why was this happening?! He wasn’t going to let himself fall into the grasps of love, not again, not after Sigyn, not after Angroboda, not after anyone. Loki knew that Tony was the same way but he still imagined him in a house holding a newborn baby in front of a fireplace. Because after all, Loki could obviously give birth.

He angrily shoved his hands against his face, using physical force to block out the memories. He had kissed Tony on the forehead once, and Tony hadn’t pulled away or questioned him or told him not to do it, but Tony was a playboy, that much was clear to the Asgardian, maybe he’s just used to physical contact, welcomes it like an old friend. Or maybe not. . . No! He refused to let himself do this.

Pulling the large, warm comforters over his body, he let the smells of his blankets calm him into sleep, thankful that it was dreamless, so different than it had been lately. ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am entirely surprised about the attention this is getting. Really you guys who have kudosed, commented, and just spent your time even giving this a chance, I thank you from the bottom of my heart :) I wish I could give you all cupcakes and hugs, but sadly, I cannot :(


	7. Loving You Forever Can't Be Wrong

“Tony, I swear to God if you don’t come to this ball I will string you in my Christmas tree like lights,” Pepper threatened on the phone.

“Pepper, what is Happy teaching you with that language?” Tony asked, surprised. He was driving in his R8 through the hills, enjoying having the top down and the wind flying through his hair.

“Shut up, Stark,” she exhaled. “Be there, Tony. Please, promise me you’ll be there.”

Tony hesitated but knew there was no way he was going to get out of this. “Fine Pepper, I promise, I’ll be at your little ball.”

Pepper sighed in relief on the other end. “Thank you, Tony. I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you tonight, alright? Eight o’clock, don’t forget!”

“Yeah, sure thing, Pep, see you tonight.” He heard the click on the other side of the line as Pepper hung up and put his phone back in his pocket, flooring the pedal and cheering at the top of his lungs as the wind howled like a wolf in his inner ear. To tell the truth, he was glad that Pepper had forced him to come to the ball. He’d been depressingly bored for the past few days, the absence of Loki was leaving him with nothing interesting to do. The absence of Loki was also driving him slowly into madness.

The wind blocked out all thoughts for which he was glad, he needed to just feel like he as floating again, feel like nothing in world could hold him down. He cheered again, into the crisp wind and let himself float higher.

~*~

Four hours later, Tony sat in his bathroom, fixing his tie and combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and picking out a nice pair of cufflinks. After he’d stopped driving he fell back to Earth and Loki reentered his brain. The only way for him to get over this situation was to get under someone else, he’d decided, so he made sure he looked good before the ball.

He didn’t know what it was for, but apparently a lot of pretentious people were invited, including the senator who Tony went out of his way to piss off. The only people Tony was looking forward to seeing were Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy, who’d probably be there as the CEO’s plus one.

Tony went down the stairs from the bathroom, to the garage and got into his Audi, driving out entrance at 80mph. “Don’t wait up for me, Jarv!” He called behind him as he exited the house. The drive was quick, which sort of sucked because he didn’t want to be early, or on time. He wanted to be later than fashionably late. The hall was crowded with cars and Tony had to drive for a bit before he found a valet boy to park his car. “Take care of it, would ya?” Tony nodded to the Valet kid and tipped him a fifty.

He weaved his way through the crowd outside, talking animatedly to each other and pointing at other people and smiling and laughing and Tony remembered that he used to be one of those people. When he was the Merchant of Death. . . Nope, nope, nope, Tony, don’t think about that.

He made his way inside where even more people were packed together like sausages, and a composer was directing a small orchastra. The hall was lavish to put it plainly. Everything was white and a mixture of milky light yellow. There were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and red velvet layering certain places on the marble flooring. He looked around and saw that there were steps that circled around the main portion of the hall about thirty feet up. The stairs all led into one large delta of stairs behind the orchestra and a small number of people were shuffling down and up them. The stairs were plastered in red velvet. Tony couldn’t remember being here before. He spotted some pretty girls talking in the center of the room and mentally made sure to approach them later.

“Tony!” Pepper called from somewhere behind Tony and the man whirled around to see her walking with her arm wound around Happy. She was wearing that blue backless number that Tony _adored_ and had her hair down in strawberry blonde waves. Happy was dressed in a nice tux with a bowtie and looked smug for being in such a high class party.

“Hey Pepper, hey Happy,” Tony said when they were close enough that Tony wouldn’t have to raise his voice.

“Did you just get here?” Pepper asked, grabbing some champagne as it passed on a tray and handing one to Tony and one to Happy and keeping one for herself.

“Yeah, like five minutes ago. I didn’t want to be strung up on your Christmas tree,” Tony said and Pepper chuckled.

“You’d make a very nice ornament,” Pepper commented and Happy just looked confused and uncomfortable. “I’m just glad you’re not late.” She looked behind her and must have seen someone important. “Sorry Tony, I’ve got to go talk to this guy, he’s been driving me insane and I need to straighten a few things out. We’ll see you later, enjoy the party!”

Pepper gripped onto Happy tighter and moved past Tony to someone behind him who he hadn’t identified. He caught a group of women looking at him and made his way over to them. “Hello, ladies.”

“Hi Tony,” they said in unison and Tony grinned. This was gonna be a good night.

~*~

He cursed himself over and over for this. Wanted to hurl himself off a bridge because he was going to do this. But he couldn’t stop himself.

He locked himself in his room and concentrated all his power to bring him through the portal to Midgard. To be fair it was more difficult than it should have been for a man so learned in the magic arts and in transporting through hidden portals. He transported directly into the bedroom, finding it empty, so he made his way down to the workshop. No one was there either.

“Jarvis?” Loki asked tentatively. This was the first time he’d spoken to the ‘AI’ as Tony had called it.

“Good evening, Mister Laufeyson,” the British voice responded and Loki smirked.

“Why am I able to be in here?” Loki asked.

“Mister Stark has granted you access into his home by use of your energy signature,” Jarvis said.

Loki raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? Well, now, where is Mister Stark then?”

“He is currently at a ball in the Disney Concert Hall approximately eight point seven miles from here, sir,” Jarvis said plainly.

“Thank you, Jarvis, you are most helpful,” Loki smiled to the invisible person.

“Happy to be of service, sir.”

Well this wasn’t going to do. He hadn’t used a ton of his magic getting here to just leave if Tony wasn’t home. Ball, that sounded quite formal, so he changed into his favorite Midgardian suit, the midnight black one with the green tie and the green and gold scarf. Personally it was his favorite look.

“You clean up nice, sir,” Jarvis commented and Loki laughed shortly.

“Thank you, Jarvis.” With that he concentrated on teleporting himself to said concert hall, hoping he’d be lucky enough to find Tony and tell him what he needed to.

~*~

“So what’s it like to fly in your suit, Tony?” One of the blondes draped across his shoulder purred in his ear. He’d had way too much to drink already but he was happy and was letting each and every girl come onto him because who was he kidding? The more the better.

“It’s indescribable, my dear, imagine jumping on a trampoline. . . And just staying in the sky. . .” He trailed off in thought of how exactly to describe flying. God, he was an idiot when he was drunk.

“Oooh, maybe sometime you can show me,” a brunette who was standing in front of Tony said, placing a hand on his knee.

Tony chuckled. “Darling, I can show you right now.”

At that all six girls giggled and Tony opened his arms to allow more of them to filter in closer to him. He was surprised there were this many woman willing to get in his pants at this type of party, but he wasn’t complaining. He was glad that this was working as a valid distraction from a certain black haired Mischief God.

“What do you ladies say to heading back to my place? This party’s a bit dull isn’t it?” Tony asked all of them. They all nodded enthusiastically. “The problem is I don’t think you’re all going to fit into my car. . .” Tony trailed off in thought. There was no way he was going to get six women and himself into the R8, and even if there was he’d most likely refuse. No one can comprehend the amount of love this man feels for his automobile.

_“_ We can take my Q7!” One of the girls with black hair said from Tony’s left side and Tony looked at her will disbelieving eyes.

“The Audi Q7?” He asked, not bothering to keep the amazement from his tone. The girl nodded and winked at him. “Oh my, my, my, my, you’re going to be the first one tonight.”

The girl giggled like a school girl and Tony had always hated that sound but he was drunk and trying to rid himself of memories, and this girl was a nice distraction. Possibly because of her black hair, but she reminded Tony of Loki and that made everything better and worse. Better because Tony knew that Loki was the actual person who he wanted to be with tonight, worse because that’s basically saying that he’s not getting over him. _Getting over him. There was no under him in the first place!_ Tony told himself and looked the girl from head to toe. She was thin and tall, maybe an inch or two taller than Tony, but that was mostly just because of the stiletto heels. She was wearing a green dress that came down to just above her knees and green and gold bracelets adorned her wrists. Oh, is that a tattoo I spy on her wrist, oh and another on her ankle? Oh yes, she was definitely going to do.

Tony clapped his hands together as if he’d decided on something. “Alright, all of you, let’s get into-” He motioned to the black haired girl for her name and she replied with ‘Jasmine’. “All get into Jasmine’s car and we’ll go back to my place.”

They all nodded happily and stood with him, heading towards the entrance of the hall. Tony looked up past the delta of the stairs and saw a man, who looked familiar in his black suit and green tie. . . Shit.

Loki stood with horror and betrayal etched into his face and Tony just stared at him for what felt like forever, watching as the saddened and left behind expression changed to anger. Pure hot anger.

And then he turned to head back up the stairs and what was Tony going to do, let him leave? Hell no. “Loki!” He called and ditched his partners to run after the man who was making quick work of climbing the stairs. Tony ran past the orchestra and caught the attention of a lot of people who were standing near, whispering and pointing at him as he ran. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Pepper, slamming her drink and placing her head, defeated, into her hands.

She must have seen him, too.

Loki was already at the top of the stairs, heading towards the elevator and Tony had to move much quicker to catch him. Frankly he was surprised the God hadn’t just teleported away once he saw what Tony was doing, being escorted by lovely women out of the bar area.

This wasn’t good was it? Didn’t think so.

“Loki! Loki, please, wait!” Tony called to the deity and ran fast enough he thought his legs were going to give out and he was going to collapse. The elevator doors opened and Loki stepped inside but Tony caught it in time, hurling himself into the elevator with Loki. “Loki, let me explain.”

“What is there to explain, Stark?” Loki said, surprisingly calm compared to what Tony had expected.

“I’m sorry,” Tony said.

“Oh? For what?” Loki asked with a raised eyebrow and damnit, Tony was way too drunk to be playing with Silvertongue right now.

“For putting myself out there to those girls,” Tony said quietly. Loki turned at that, his eyes widened and his lips pursed into a harsh line.

“Why,” Loki said and it didn’t sound like a question. It was a demand.

“Because I like you,” Tony said with a small smile that he was surprised he could manage to make believable.

“Well, it’s good to know that you have your petty crush, playboy but I don’t mess around with liking someone,” Loki threw back.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tony asked, slightly offended by the use of the playboy title making it seem like he didn’t care about Loki.

“Because I don’t bother with the petty infatuations like you do, Stark! I’ve let myself fall into those wretched hands before and I’m not about to let myself do it again!” Loki exclaimed and the little light in the elevator went out and it stopped it’s decrease to the basement.

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“The power went out. I thought you were an engineer?” Loki hissed and Tony couldn’t see him in the blackness.

“I meant what happened to you,” Tony said, quieter this time and thought that Loki might try to strangle him again, maybe kill him in the elevator. No witnesses.

Loki didn’t respond for what felt like eternity and back but finally he sighed in defeat. “I have been played for love before, Stark. I was led to believe that I was loved by my family and then to find out that I was truly nothing but another relic in their castle. . . I just, Tony, I’m extremely broken, possibly beyond repair, and then I met you and the pieces seemed to magical flow back together, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle and it all seemed right. You understood me for what I was. I didn’t expect you to feel the same way, and I now I know that you don’t, I just had to be sure,” Loki said in a whisper and Tony could barely hear his words.

“Well what do you want then, Loki? You want me to promise to love you unconditionally until the day I die? Because I can’t do that, okay? Tony Stark doesn’t do commitment. But I can tell you that I like you, a lot, and that I’ve missed you since you left,” Tony replied.

Tony’s eyes were adjusting and he could see the faint outline when Loki shook his head. “No, I don’t want you to be forced into something you do not-”

“Well what do you want?! I’m asking you, Loki, what do you want from me? What can I tell you to make you-” His rambling was instantly cut off by a pair of soft, thin lips, curving against Tony’s into a smirk, biting lightly onto his bottom lip, breathing ice cold breath against the indents. It was the strangest combination of fire and ice, like liquid nitrogen pulsing against him, like his body was a live wire trying to be controlled. It was toxic and it took Tony a moment to get a hold of himself and give in. This had been what he wanted, right? But Loki was so soft and not daring to inch into the next territory, he just let his lips glide across the mortals and planted a few bites across his lower lip. Loki pulled himself flush with the shorter of the two, and lifted a hand to card through his hair softly.

“I want this, Stark, I want you, I want every inch, every crevice, every scratch of you. I want you to be mine, and to not let go,” Loki murmured against his lips and Tony thought he was going to hurl a snake of fire or vomit a rainbow or something drastic because the God’s lips just felt so good, dancing so calmly across his own.

But for some reason, Tony controlled himself.

Tony pushed the deity away and into the darkness, so he couldn’t see those intoxicating green eyes. “I want you, too, Loki, oh my god you have no idea how much I want you, but I know there’s no way I’ll be happy if you’re expecting that from me.”

Loki didn’t say anything but Tony knew he was still there, playing a statue, possibly hoping for Tony to change his mind. His mind wasn’t going to change, though. He wanted Loki, he wanted Loki more so than he wanted all six of the women upstairs at once. He wanted to love him, he wanted to feel him cuddle into bed with him at night after nightmares and kiss him all over and tell him that nothing would ever be able to hurt him again, wanted to kiss him until his back was arching and his lips were screaming his name over and over, and he wanted the house with the one little kid who adored both his parents, one who he could play catch with and the one who you’d let a tear escape when you see their empty room when they go to college. He wanted it all, every little bit of it, everything that went with it.

But he knew he could never do it no matter how much he wanted it.

And it hurt, let me tell you, it hurt a lot to know that something is there, willing for you to just reach out and grab it but you can’t because you’re afraid that it’ll just end in pain and that you’ll loose control of the situation and leave. It hurt. But wouldn’t it hurt worse, for them both, if Tony went along with it knowing that it would end that way? That they’d go through blood, sweat, and tears just for Tony to fuck it up like he always does. It hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Tony whispered when the God still said nothing. He wanted to reach out and touch the ice cold man and let him know how incredibly sorry he was for being such a screw up and not letting himself get wrapped into love.

“Don’t be. I knew it was a long shot anyway,” Loki said, and with that the lights came back on and the elevator started to move down, but after the initial blinding of the light, Tony found that Loki was gone. Again. This time, probably for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was . . . Interesting to write. So sorry that Loki keeps leaving, but it's not for good :)


	8. All My Friends Ask Me Why I Stay Strong

Loki returned back to Asgard as fast as he possibly could. He felt like a fool for believing that Tony would feel the same way as he did. He couldn’t believe he’d actually gone to Midgard, kissed the man, a lot more energetically than he’d planned on doing, and then left. He was a fool, a fool for thinking that Tony would want the same things as did and he just _left._ Because it’s all he could do, he freaked out and he had to leave because the rejection was too much. He’d thrown himself at the man, literally and he’d said no.

But he hadn’t _technically_ said no.

He’d said he didn’t think he could do what Loki hoped for, but he didn’t say he didn’t want him. In fact he’d said the exact opposite.

This was too complicated, he felt like he needed to lock himself in his room and cry and scream and let everything flow from him like lava because he’d been holding in so much for so long now. But Thor was probably wondering where he was and-

Thor.

Maybe for once in Loki’s life he could look to Thor to comfort him, to tell him what he should do. Considering Thor had gone through a slightly similar thing.

When he’d teleported himself back to Asgard he’d landed at the front of Thor’s door. He didn’t know if the Thunderer would be in his chambers but it was worth a try. He knocked once and heard feet shuffling on the other side before the gleaming golden door opened.

“Brother!” Thor said and Loki sensed relief in his tone. So he had been wondering where he’d gone to.

“Hello, Thor, may I come in?” Loki asked shyly. The last time he’d asked to come into his brothers room was when they were children, staying up past their bedtime and Loki read Thor bedtime stories, (Even though Thor was older, Loki could still read before him.), about Frost Giants and Dark Elves and Thor had covered his eyes with his hands and told Loki he was scared and to please stop reading. Loki smirked at his older brother who was always so full of brawn and power, cowering at children’s stories. But he had obliged, closing the book and turning off the light, and cuddling under Thor’s blankets.

They used to do that all the time when they were children, but something drastically changed for them both that Loki never entered Thor’s bedroom again.

“Yes, of course,” Thor said, and stepped aside for Loki to walk in. Loki knew had been thinking the same thing. “I was looking around for you today, brother. Where did you go?”

Loki walked farther into the room and sat on the edge of the bed like it was his own. He clasped his hands together and set his gaze to anything other than his brother who was moving to sit next to him. “I went to Midgard.”

Thor said nothing in response, only nodded as if he’d known all along. “Do I need to ask why?”

Loki shrugged lightly and smirked. “It doesn’t seem like you do.”

“No, I suppose I do not, brother. You went for Anthony Stark,” Thor said and Loki nodded. “I guessed as much. May I ask why? Although I have my suspicions.”

“I don’t know, Thor. It’s inevitable attraction and I can’t get the mortal from my thoughts,” Loki said, frustrated.

“Why did you have words with him?” Thor asked.

“It is not love, but it is something close to it. It is driving me mad, madder than I am already, and I cannot think of anything but him,” Loki said and put his head in his hands angrily, and felt Thor’s soothing hand on his back.

“What did you say to him?” Thor wanted to know.

“I told him how I felt. He said he felt the same but that he wasn’t looking for long term, that he doesn’t want what I want,” Loki spoke into his hands.

“I am sorry, brother,” Thor said. Loki didn’t respond so he continued. “The Lady Jane and I have not spoken since our battle on the Bifrost. I miss her with every part of my being, and I know how you feel, brother. To have someone not want what you do. Perhaps if you give him time, he will learn that he does want what you do,” Thor said with a weak smile. “Do not give up hope, brother.”

For the first time in years Loki hugged his adopted brother, letting his skinny arms wrap around his broad back. Thor was clearly startled because he hesitantly put his large arms around his brothers back.

“Thank you, brother,” Loki said, and it was the first time in a while that he’d called Thor that.

~*~

“Tony what happened?” Pepper asked when he returned upstairs to the party. He’d gone to her with hope that she’d have an answer for what to do because he felt like the lowest on the totem pole, like he was so ridiculous and awful. And he was.

For all that time he’d wanted nothing but Loki. Nothing but the feeling of him next to him and never leaving him, but he’s a coward and he runs away from his fears and this was his biggest fear. He wished that he was able to run into fear, face first, growling with the ‘game-face’ and tackle it, destroy it. Make sure it never plagued him again.

But he was a coward.

“I don’t know, Pepper. He kissed me, and I just felt like I was going to melt because I wanted it so badly, but then I let him leave. I could _see_ his heart break, Pepper,” Tony said. He was glad that some of the party had left due to the blackout and there weren’t as many people around. All six of the girls he’d hung himself over were no where in sight.

“Tony, I’m sorry but you need to grow a pair,” Pepper said with a disbelieving laugh. “Honestly, Stark, what is the matter with you? Stop being so afraid. I know that it can be scary, I know that you’re afraid that you’re going to get destroyed in the end, but it might not end up that way. You need to realize that. You need to notice that love sometimes happens, and that if you never let it in then it’ll never happen.”

Tony had initially been angry at Potts for telling him to ‘grow a pair’ because he _clearly_ had a pair, but then he let himself listen to her and she was right. Every word she spoke was correct.

“How can I get him back?” Tony said without hesitation.

Pepper shrugged lightly. “I don’t know if you can, Tony. He’s in Asgard. That’s another _realm._ The only way you’ll see him again is if he comes back.”

Tony thought about that for a minute. How was he supposed to reach Loki now? The God had unexpectedly dropped by and there were no signs of how he had or if he would ever return after the events of tonight. He probably wouldn’t. Tony wouldn’t if he was in his position.

“I’m gonna go home, Pep,” Tony said without making eye contact and started to leave before her response.

He was hoping that he’d have an epiphany on the drive home, but it most likely wasn’t going to happen. He walked out of the hall and into the too crisp air. It made him want to cover himself in another layer of skin and that wasn’t a good feeling. He called for the valet and his gorgeous car appeared quickly. He got in and just let his mind wander on the ride home. This was going to take some thought to get Loki back to Midgard and it wouldn’t be easy. There wasn’t any way he could just call the God and tell him to drop by and he was sure that it took a lot out of Loki to travel realm to realm. But he also wasn’t patient enough to wait for the deity to return.

He got back home way too quickly and he turned off his car, taking a deep breath before getting out of the car. He took three steps and then there was a swift kick to the back of his head, and everything went black.

****

~*~

****

“Brother, are you certain you will be fine with my absence?” Thor asked one morning. He was due to go and visit the Lady Jane and quite frankly Loki was irritated that Thor kept asking if he’d be alright.

“Thor, I am not a child, I will be fine on my own,” Loki hissed, piercing Thor’s bright blue eyes with his gleaming green ones.

“I just feel awful leaving you so soon after you have returned. And so soon after your incident on Midgard.” Thor added the second thought quietly and removed his eyes from Loki to look down at his hands.

“Again, I am an adult. I will be fine, I’ve managed for a long time already,” Loki said with a weak smile to reassure his brother.

With that Thor looked at him again and beamed. “I will return shortly, brother. Try not to cause much havoc in my absence,” Thor said and flung Mjolnir into the air. Loki smirked at Thor’s insinuation but said nothing for now the room was empty.

He stood from the armchair he was currently occupying and walked around his bedroom, looking on his book shelf for any good literature. Loki had never been too fond of Asgardian writings, but had always been fascinated by Midgardians, and he wished he had a good Shakespeare novel to read now.

He was coping better than could be expected only three days after the events on Earth. For the first forty eight hours he had missed Anthony, wanted to go back and tell him that he’d stay until the mortal grew tired of him, but he was strong and good at controlling the abrupt urges. He no longer let the man inhabit his brain, he blocked him out, and was now starting to get over him.

There was a book labeled _Sorcery_ and Loki took it from the shelf, observing the dust that flew off of it as he blew on the cover. This would have to do. He walked back to the armchair and opened the ancient pages, flipping through the numerous charts of incantations and potions.

He was reading up on memory erasing spells when there was a slight knock on the door. “Come in,” Loki called and closed the book, awaiting the arrival of whoever was knocking.

Sif showed herself from behind the door and walked in the room awkwardly, like she didn’t know why she was here. “Hello, Loki.”

“Sif,” Loki commented and placed the book on the table next to the chair. “What brings you here?”

“I am not sure, Loki,” Sif said and looked angry at herself for not being able to place her thoughts into words.

“Sit.” Loki motioned to the chair opposite him and Sif nodded, going to sit next to it. She said nothing and made no eye contact with Loki, her gaze was far off and blurry, like she was trying to win a battle with herself. “I am sorry about your hair, Lady Sif.”

Sif smirked at that but still didn’t look at the God. “I know you are, Loki. I have not forgiven you, never believe that I will, but I am starting to enjoy the black.” Sif ran a hand through her black locks that were framing her face instead of tied in the usual pony tail.

“I did not expect you to,” Loki said. He was staring at Sif, begging her to make eye-contact but she would not. “Tell me what leads you here, Sif.”

Sif shook her head in frustration. “Tell me of Anthony Stark. What you feel for him.”

Loki was taken aback by the question and the sudden reentrance of Tony in his brain. It wasn’t welcomed and he wished that Sif had just been there to strangle him or something. “I do not know, Sif. I know the feelings are strong, stronger than they have any right to be. I am almost certain that I have fallen in love with him.”

Sif nodded in understanding. “I see. What does love feel like?”

Again Loki had to think for a minute. This was so unlike the Sif he knew. The Sif he knew would be bashing his head in for falling into the hands of love and passion, not asking what it felt like to him. “For me love has been agony. Stark does not return the feelings that I have for him. Well, he does, but only to a certain degree. I went to see him, only days earlier and it was like a weight had been lifted. I felt I could do anything.”

Sif smiled sadly but still made no attempt to look at the Mischief God. “It sounds incredible.”

“May I ask why you have asked me this, Lady Sif?” Loki asked, needing to know why. This was the most private feeling Loki had to offer and he needed to know why Sif felt the urge to hear it.

Finally Sif looked at Loki, her brown eyes brimming with tears. “I think I have fallen in love with Thor, but I do not know how to handle it or what to do. I thought perhaps you could offer me insight.”

To say Loki was astonished was an understatement. Sif, of all the maidens he knows, had fallen in love with his oaf of a brother. And she’d gone to him, Loki of all people, for help, for answers. For insight as to the feeling of love. Loki felt his mouth drop pathetically and had to tell himself not to gawk. “But, you have. . . You’re the Lady Sif. You are a warrior, you have thought those who have loved are weak and those who know of love are afraid of living alone for their lives. Why would you fall into that abyss?”

“I do not know, Loki! I came here for your help, for you to tell me what I should do. I know that Thor has feelings for the mortal woman and that I am nothing but a warrior and a friend to him, but I don’t know how to go on like this,” Sif let one single tear escape her eyes and Loki was in shock that Sif was allowing herself to break down, to allow herself to show the deepest emotion she had.

“Do not give up hope. If you believe in your heart that you love Thor then who knows, maybe he will return it,” Loki said, repeating Thor’s words. Sif smiled weakly at that and nodded.

“Thank you, Loki. For you can be kind if you wish it,” Sif said.

“I am always here,” Loki said and watched as she stood and went to leave. She was almost at the door when she turned and faced him again.

“If you ever need anyone to practice with, I am available. It’s been a while since we relieved our stress on one another,” Sif said and left before Loki could respond. ****

 


	9. I Wish I Was Dead

 

“Tony!?” Pepper called to the empty workshop. She hadn’t heard from him since the night of the ball and wasn’t entirely surprised that he’d gone off the grid after what happened with Loki. But still, she worried.

“Jarvis, when was the last time you saw him?” Pepper said, looking around the room and at each car, seeing that they were all still there.

“The last record I have of Mister Stark was four days ago, before the ball,” Jarvis responded. “I did not see any footage of Mister Stark come or go after that.”

This was just too strange. “Do you have any idea where he could have gone?”

“I am sorry, Miss Potts, but I only know him as well as you do,” Jarvis responded and if the AI could have shrugged, it would have.

“Thank you, Jarvis, please keep me updated if he comes back around,” Pepper said and went to leave through the garage entrance.

“I will do so, Miss,” Jarvis said.

Pepper walked past the R8, whose door she could now see was opened and saw that laying next to the car was a puddle of blood.

~*~

Thor was happy that he’d caught Jane at this time. The look on her face spoke volumes when he appeared at her New Mexico ‘temporary living situation’.

“Thor!” She screamed and ran to him, jumping because of the height disadvantage and hugging the God.

“Lady Jane! I most pleased to see you again!” Thor said and hugged the mortal back, careful because he knew they were more delicate than the Gods.

“How did you come back?” Jane asked when she released her sort of boyfriend.

“That tale is a long one to tell and I wish not to say it now,” Thor said.

Jane looked slightly disappointed but didn’t argue. Jane looked behind her to Darcy and Erik Selvig who said nothing at the arrival of the big bad Barbie doll. “Show a little happiness, look who’s back!” Jane said and Darcy waved and Selvig nodded.

“Darcy, Erik Selvig, I hope you do not mind if I take away this maiden for a while?” Thor asked and neither of them opposed so Thor grabbed onto Jane’s waist and pulled her close. “We are going on a quest, my dear.” Jane giggled and Thor started to walk out of the house.

~*~

Jane led him to a small diner a few blocks away and Thor ordered a coffee because he adored the Midgardian drink.

“So how have you been, Thor?” Jane asked once they settled and were sipping at their drinks.

“As much as I enjoy our small conversations, Lady Jane, I do admit that I have an issue of much importance,” Thor said.

Jane looked taken aback but nodded. “Alright, what is it?”

“What do you know of Anthony Stark?” Thor asked and had to try not to jump at the cackle that erupted from Jane’s throat.

“Why do you need to know about Tony Stark?” Jane asked and used a napkin to wipe away the laughter tears in her eyes and the slight running of her mascara.

“It is another long story, but it involves my brother. I just need to know about this man,” Thor said in all seriousness. Jane stopped laughing abruptly.

“Well, he’s a genius, he’s a playboy, he’s a billionaire, and a philanthropist. He’s the son of Howard Stark, he’s Iron Man, I don’t know, you have to be more specific on what you’d like to know,” Jane stumbled on her words.

“Is he a good man?” Thor asked.

“He didn’t use to be. But he’s changed. He’s good now,” Jane said. There was a newspaper on the table between them and Jane looked at it. “Oh well, here he is.”

Thor looked down at the headline that read **Tony Stark Gone Missing.** “What do they mean he has gone missing?” Thor asked.

“Well I don’t know if that’s anything to be worried about, the guy drops out of peoples watch all the time. Although, let me read.” Jane took the newspaper from Thor’s hand and skimmed it, her eyes growing wider with disbelief the further down she went. “He’s been kidnapped.”

“What!?” Thor stood and the chair fell over behind him.

“It says that Pepper Potts found a pool of blood in his workshop and that she hadn’t seen him for four days,” Jane said. Thor counted backwards four days and that was the day when Loki had come to see him.

“He has been taken?” Thor said, his tone angered and confused.

“It looks like it,” Jane said.

“I am sorry but I must return to Asgard, I must have words with my brother. I will return as soon as I can,” Thor said.

“Thor, don’t worry about it. Take care of what you have to. I’ll still be here when you return,” Jane said with a weak smile and Thor kissed her cheek before spinning Mjolnir and hurling himself into the sky, leaving Jane in the diner.

~*~

He woke up to a bright light above him and his hands tied with ropes behind his back. His whole body hurt and he couldn’t breathe out of his nose. He let his eyes adjust to the darkened room and saw that it looked like a basement of a normal house, a little musty and dirty. He was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, right beneath the light with his hands and feet bound together by thick ropes. _What the hell have I gotten myself into now?_

His whole body ached and he felt nauseous, like he was going to vomit out a lung. He could feel scratches on his face and on his torso but no where else. He looked down to a small puddle of blood on the floor underneath him, cursing when he saw the dried cuts across his chest. There were voices on the other side of the door farthest from where he sat but he couldn’t focus enough to understand them.

Suddenly a woman entered the room, with long black hair and she smirked at Tony. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

Tony spit on her high heels and she back handed him across the face. “What do you want from me?” Tony growled and was shocked at how damaged his voice sounded.

“We know of your involvement with a certain Loki Laufeyson and we wish for you to tell us his whereabouts,” the woman hissed. She circled Tony like a wolf and made him want to jump out and bite her. Get her away from him.

“I don’t know where he is.” And he didn’t. The last time he’d seen Loki was however many days ago at the ball, in the elevator after they’d. . . He swallowed a lump in his throat when he remembered the last time he’d seen the God.

“Liar,” the woman hissed and she kicked Tony’s left leg, leaving a sharp indent of her heel. Tony wanted to cry out in pain but he knew better than to give her the joy of his pain.

“I’m not lying,” Tony said through clenched teeth and the woman came back into view, her face inches from Tony’s.

“When was the last time you saw him?” She asked.

“I don’t know, whenever you captured me,” Tony growled and the woman didn’t look amused at the tone so she smacked Tony, lighter this time but it still hurt the newly healed cuts.

“We’ll get the information we need, Mister Stark. It just depends on much pain you can take,” the woman said and left the room, leaving Tony to try to gather his thoughts back together. All he remembered was Loki’s lips on his and then watching him leave because he was a coward who didn’t give into what he wanted. He’d gone home. . . Right? He couldn’t remember anything after that. He must have just woken up for the first time in days now, and his stomach growled in a second opinion.

He had no way of knowing how long he’d been here or how much longer whoever these people were, were going to keep him.

All he could think about was where Loki was, and if he was safe. He most likely went back to Asgard but he wasn’t about to give up that information to these people. He mentally kicked himself for letting him leave again. If he ever got the chance to see Loki again he wasn’t going to blow it. He was going to have Loki stay with him and they were going to live happily ever after, no matter what it took.

And that’s that.

But first there’s the little snag of getting out of wherever the hell he was. He looked around the room for any possible weapons that he could use or anything sharp enough for him to cut the ropes. There was nothing. Well now that wasn’t going to work was it? Tony had to find a way out, he _had_ to because he was Tony Stark and there was no way he was going to throw in the towel and let himself be held prisoner, again.

He tried to wiggle his hands out of the ropes but it was useless, the ropes were too thick and were wrapped too tightly. He wanted to scream. . . He wanted to scream so badly but he wasn’t going to give his captures the satisfaction of knowing that they were getting to him. Were they even getting to him? He didn’t know. He couldn’t feel his feet from where they were nestled under the chairs seat and his hands were starting to tingle, too. His stomach growled again and as if on queue a man dressed in dark greens and wearing a mask came in with a plate of food, Tony couldn’t identify what yet, and undid his hands. Tony hoped he’d leave and let him eat in peace but that didn’t happen. The guard stood at the door and watched as Tony rubbed his wrists and started to eat what looked like potatoes. It tasted awful but it was good and he’d rather eat the vial stuff than die. There was a small cut of some sort of meat next to the potatoes and he shoved it down his throat. That was better.

“You gonna tell me where I am?” He asked between bites to the man who hadn’t spoken yet.

He didn’t respond so Tony flicked him off. If he was going to be held prisoner he was going to make them suffer for it.

After he finished the food the man stepped forward, handing him a bottle of water and taking the tray away. He left without another word. Didn’t even bother to retie his hands. _That’s interesting_. Most of the time bad guys don’t just forget to do something important like that. Either way he drank the bottled water, savored the feeling as it ran down his throat. He poured a small bit into his hand and splashed it on his face, cleaning up some of the wounds as well as cooling him down. The room was at least ninety degrees.

Taking advantage of the situation, he undid the ropes on his ankles and stood cautiously, testing his balance and making sure he didn’t fall onto the hard concrete floor. The world spun as he stood but he pushed through it, taking another gulp of water. Now that he was higher up he could see a small window in the door, just about at eye level and he looked through it but saw nothing.

He sat back down on the chair and took a deep breath. _So I guess I have to wait to be rescued._

~*~

Thor arrived in Asgard quickly and ran to Loki’s bedroom where he could only guess he’d be. “Brother!” Thor called and ran into the room without waiting for Loki’s permission. He knew he could be killed at his brothers hand for such an act but he didn’t care. This was too important.

“What is it, Thor? I was under the impression that you‘d be gone longer than an hour to visit your mortal,” Loki hissed and Thor knew he was mad about the sudden entrance.

“It is Anthony Stark,” Thor said, only slightly out of breath.

Loki cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? What of him?”

Thor took a deep breath and steadied himself. Was it even worth him telling Loki? The man would only worry but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t return back to Midgard for a few more days at least because his magic is too low, and if he returned again and the All father found out then he’d most likely be held prisoner. But he had a right to know, didn’t he? He was indeed in love with the mortal, Thor could see in his eyes that yes, this was more than infatuation, but how was he to help?

“Try not to go insane, Loki,” Thor warned and Loki’s smug expression dropped into something far more horrified.

“Thor, what has happened?” Loki’s voice dripped venom but thankfully it wasn’t directed at Thor. Loki could do that with his voice, make it be horrible and hate filled but have it directed at something entirely other than the person he was speaking to.

Thor took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He couldn’t watch Loki’s heart break again. “Anthony Stark has been kidnapped.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys don't like to or don't want to comment here my tumblr is always open :) http://service-of-liars-and-killers.tumblr.com/ you can drop by and say hello ^_^


	10. Your Soul Is Haunting Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait guys, I kept trying to write and then I got distracted by 'Attack of the Minivengers', then I got distracted by Thor bobbleheads and then by butterflies and you know, it's just been hard to get this done. And I really don't enjoy writing transitions, they drive me nuts. I will hopefully be able to get back to a more constant schedule after this.

“ _What?”_ Loki hissed but it ended up sounding more like a pathetic croak. Everything seemed to go in slow motion and he hated it when that happened. He felt dizzy and confused and thought for certain he’d pass out. The sweat started to bubble on his forehead and he needed some air so he stood and walked - more like ran - onto the balcony with Thor following closely behind.

In that moment he could have sworn that his heart was on a string and it had just been cut.

“I am so sorry, brother,” Thor said quietly from behind the hyperventilating God.

“How do you know?” Loki asked once he’d regained the majority of his breath back.

“I went to visit the Lady Jane and there was a newspaper that said he’d been kidnapped. On the day when you visited him,” Thor said. Loki spun around and his eyes were ablaze with anger.

“He’s been gone for days now and no one has found him yet?” Loki growled and Thor forced himself not to step backwards. Loki was scary when he was angry.

“They do not know where he is. All they know is that there was blood in his home and no man to be found,” Thor said. Loki literally crumbled onto the ground beneath him and pulled his legs up to his chest.

He had to save him. Didn’t he? He couldn’t just let the man who’d grown so close to his heart be held captive and not do anything to help him. If there was even something he could do. His magic was too weak to travel back to Midgard this soon, and if he risked going against a force bigger than himself he’d surely die. And what if Tony was already gone. . . What if whoever or whatever had already ended his life?

Or maybe this was exactly what he needed. This was the last way for him to get him out of his mind. But was he really that cruel to leave Tony with his captors and not try to save him, no matter his own personal battles? And something in the back of his head told him that he’d go further into the abyss if he knew he was letting Tony die.

He clawed his hands through his hair and felt Thor’s reassuring hand on his shoulder. “What can we do?”

“I do not know, brother. I’m not sure if there is anything we can do.” Thor’s grip tightened a little and released and Loki could hear him moving away.

“Thor!” Loki lifted his head and called to his brother before the older could leave the room. “Have words with Sif. I think there is something she wishes to speak with you about.”

Thor looked confused but said nothing. Just nodded in understanding and left Loki alone to grapple with his feelings.

Loki stood shakily and walked to his bed. The sun was setting and the sky was growing darker, the gleam that the sun caused on the city disappearing. Odin had called that a new Bifrost be built, so there were workers on the edge of the bridge, building together the structure again.

He let his hand glide against his blankets and laid down, inhaling and trying to clear his mind. Have something send him an answer on what he should do because he didn’t know. All he knew was that he had two options, both of which would lead him to madness.

Option one: Find a way to rescue Stark. This option was the one Loki was leaning towards more just because of the feelings that threatened to engulf him over the mortal. This would take time. He needed time to regain his magic, needed time to find out wherever the man was hidden, and time to find out how to break in and get him out.

Option two: Leave Stark to play in the lions den and not rescue him. This made Loki’s heart tense painfully because he couldn’t really bare to never see Tony again. But possibly that was exactly what he needed, was to never see him again. If he chose this then eventually he would realize that nothing was going to go on for them. Stark would be out of his life for good and eventually he’d get back his normal self.

He let himself scream in anguish and relished the feeling of the noise through his throat, causing his whole body to go rigid and to block out the rest of the world. He didn’t care if anyone heard him and decided to come and check on him, he’d just use the little power he had left to make them leave.

Eventually he let his mind rest and ignore the difficult challenge facing him. Everything went blank and he felt himself being dragged into sleep.

~*~

Knock knock knock.

Sif jumped when she heard the knocking on the training door and turned from where she was relieving her stress and anger against a dark elf dummy to find Thor. Her breath caught a little in her throat and she tried to ignore it without much success.“Come in,” she called and turned back to the dummy, who was looking more and more beaten up by the second.

“Loki said you wished to speak with me,” Thor said and Sif hadn’t noticed how close he’d gotten.

_That bastard!_ Sif thought angrily. Of course she should have known the Liesmith wouldn’t hold his tongue for too long. She grabbed a sword from where it lay next to her and cut off the head of the elf, watching as it was discarded and another appeared in its place. Sif smirked but laid the sword back down, going to stand next to Thor. 

_“_ Is that all he said?” Sif asked and sat down on the bench. Thor followed after her and looked more confused by the minute which made Sif want to laugh.

“Yes. Sif, what is the matter?” Thor asked, his tone growing more anxious.

Sif took in a deep breath and tried to think how or if she wanted to reveal her feelings to Thor. He loved the mortal, that was plain to see, but eventually she would die and he’d need company for the remainder of his life. Sif could be that remainder. She didn’t want him to settle for her, but she knew that she had a special place in Thor’s heart that he held close.

“I do not know if I wish to divulge into this now,” Sif whispered and was surprised with how quiet her voice was.

Thor didn’t look convinced. “If this is really of importance I’d like to hear it now rather than later.”

“Thor, I don’t know if-”

“Sif.” Thor placed two fingers to Sif’s chin and turned her head towards him. They were so close that Sif could feel his warm breath against her lips and it was enough for her to have to focus on breathing again.

“Thor, I love you,” Sif just spit it out and watched as Thor’s eyes turned from confused, to angered, to confused again, to accepting.

“Sif, I love you, too,” Thor smiled and Sif’s face broke into a huge grin that she couldn’t remember ever wearing before. Her stomach felt like all the butterflies were gone and she could just jump into the air and fly, fly away with Thor until the end of time.

“You do?” Sif asked and she sounded like some young girl who’d gotten her first kiss stolen by a warrior.

“Of course I do. I love you, I love you very much. You mean a lot to me, Sif. So do Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, and most of all Loki. I love you all so much, Thor said with a smile across his face.

And that’s how one of the fiercest warriors Asgard had ever known, heart broke.

“Oh. I, uh, yes I love you, Thor,” Sif said and she used mock happiness. How could I have been so stupid?

“Is that all you wished to say, Lady Sif?” Thor asked and hadn’t noticed how Sif’s tone changed.

Sif had to swallow a lump in her throat and coughed lightly. “Yes.” Thor nodded and patted her on the shoulder before leaving.

When he was gone Sif cursed herself for her ignorance and sliced the head off the dark elf before returning to her chambers.

~*~

“Get up you worthless hack,” one of the guards shouted at Tony who had fallen asleep in his chair. It was the next day, maybe the next few days, Tony could tell because he felt more rejuvenated than he had in a while.

“Worthless hack? My pinky finger is probably worth more than your whole life,” Tony hissed.

The guard smacked him across the back of the head and Tony grimaced. They must have retied his hands when he was asleep because when he tried to get the sleep out of his eyes he found that his hands were bound. “Get up,” the guard said and lifted Tony out of the chair and started to walk to the door where two other guards stood with heavily loaded guns.

“Where are you taking me?” Tony growled. He’d gotten accustomed to using his threatening tone when he was dealing with these people and it seemed to be growing on him.

_“_ You’ll see,” the guard said and led Tony down the corridors to a larger room where more guards stood and the woman who Tony had dealt with earlier was sitting.

“Mister Stark, how nice of you to join us,” the woman sneered and stood from her seat to offer Tony a chair. He sat down on it and the guards tied his legs together. It took a great amount of self control to not kick them in the face as they did so.

“Who are you?” Tony asked.

The woman smiled and sat back down so she was eye level with Tony. Tony could have sworn that it was Lady Loki, but it wasn’t, obviously. She had long black hair that went to her waist and wore a tight green cat suit similar to the one that Miss Natalie Rushman/Agent Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow wore. She looked slightly familiar other than the first time they’d met. He knew her from somewhere, it was just, where?

“Just call me Viper,” the woman said and Tony nodded lightly. “So are you prepared to tell us the whereabouts of Loki Laufeyson yet?”

Tony shook his head. “I told you I don’t know where he is.”

Viper smiled sinisterly and never let her gaze falter from Tony’s eyes. “You must have some clue.”

Tony shrugged. “What do you want with him?”

“That is none of your concern,” Viper hissed and leaned closer over the table separating them to be more menacing.

“I think it is,” Tony scoffed.

“I don’t care what you think, Mister Stark.”

Tony shrugged again. “I already told you that I don’t know where he is. Yeah, I did let myself get involved with him, but I don’t know where he is now. I doubt I’ll ever see him again so you might as well just let me go.”

“We’ll let you go when we’re ready if the time ever comes,” Viper hissed and leaned back in her chair, clouding her face in shadows.

“What do you want from me? If I can’t find you Loki I really am of no value,” Tony said nonchalantly.

“You’ll find him. Trust me, you will. And if you don‘t find him, he will find you,” Viper murmured from behind the shadows and waved a hand to take him away. At that moment Tony realize who she was. Jasmine. The girl who he’d hit on at the ball. Two guards lifted Tony from the chair and dragged him to his room, throwing him harshly onto the floor when they got there.

Tony heard the familiar click of a lock from behind him and internally cursed against the hard, hot floor. How could I have not noticed sooner that she was the chick? She must have seen Loki. Maybe she was tracking me. Followed me home after I left. Shit.

This might have topped the list of worst things that Anthony Stark had gotten himself into.

Shakily he stood and got himself into the chair, exhaling and waiting for something, anything, to happen. Viper had said that if he didn’t find Loki, then Loki would find him. Was Loki searching for him? No. How would he have even known he’d been kidnapped? Probably even Pepper didn’t know he’d been kidnapped. He could be anywhere especially after the Loki fiasco.

This wasn’t like Afghanistan. This wasn’t clear cut that he’d been taken away and used. This was much more sinister and whatever this group was, was after something bigger than just Loki Laufeyson. There was no way Tony was going to let Loki get captured, though. To use the phrase, ‘if you want him, you have to get through me first’.

Tony wanted to fall asleep because it was the only thing that would pass the time, but he couldn’t, mostly because of the violent explosions he could hear in the background.

Wait.

Violent explosions?

“Get him! Get him NOW!” A guard screamed and ran into the room, grabbing Tony and running out, ignoring him when he asked what was going on. Another explosion from somewhere outside and Tony had just now realized he had no clue where this building was located.

They passed many guards, some holding guns and running towards exits, others evacuating, some just doing nothing. He saw Viper pass in front of him and go towards what Tony could only guess was an exit.

A door showed up and the guards pushed Tony forwards out the heavy metal door, into the bright, overly bright, sunlight. He had to close his eyes for a second before he could see properly and when he could, it was chaos. There was nothing surrounding the house, which was actually quite large looking from the outside, except for sand, like some sort of wasteland. But wherever there was something, it was bursting with flames, being engulfed by the raging inferno. People were running with guns, trying to get away from wherever the next explosion would happen.

Another blast. Smoke billowed out from one of the crates holding things Tony didn’t know. One guard didn’t drop Tony’s arm but the other ran to help one of the men who had gotten their arm caught on fire. Through the smoke Tony could make out something. It was shiny, tall, looking almost like a tin man. It’s eyes burned red and it come into clear view from behind the shield of smoke.


	11. Everytime I Close My Eyes

There was a loud sound and what looked like fire shot from the metal mans eyes, hitting another crate and causing debris and fire to spray everywhere. Tony felt the guard at his side grab his arm painfully tight as the armor walked towards him.

Tony didn’t know what to do. This thing, whatever it was, was clearly here to destroy this organization, maybe even to save his life. The armor shot the man holding onto Tony’s arm and the fire that blazed past him burned the clothing off his arm.

“Are you here for me?” Tony asked. People were stilled running about like crazy and trying to shoot at the armor unsuccessfully. All of the bullets just ricocheted and ended up either hitting the person who fired them or landing pathetically on the ground.

The armor nodded and Tony figured he’d much rather take his chances with a weird metal space man than the group he’d been dealing with. The armor picked Tony up and shielded him from the bullets that increased towards them. Tony caught a glimpse of Viper, fuming with her gun poised at his head and mock saluted her. The armor started to run, holding Tony close and leading him somewhere Tony couldn’t tell where yet.

They ran for what felt like hours, seeming to never get out of this landscape which Tony guessed was Death Valley or some sort of large barren desert. Finally they reached civilization, and the armor took him straight to Stark Tower. He dropped him off and stared at the man for a while before Tony spoke.

“Who are you?” Tony asked. The armor didn’t answer, Tony didn’t think it would or could. It turned to leave and Tony called out, “Thank you!”

The armor nodded again and started to disappear on the spot, leaving Tony alone on his balcony. He needed a drink and he needed to make a few calls. And he needed an alibi.

He went to the bar first, getting a nice glass of scotch and settling onto the comfy couch, relaxing his sore muscles. “Jarvis?”

“How nice to see you back, sir,” the AI responded and Tony smiled.

“Call Pepper for me would you? I’m sure she’s having a heart attack by now,” Tony said, taking a sip of the liquid.

“I have sent her an update via email of your return. You were in the Bahamas.”

Tony laughed. “Great, thanks Jarv.”

“Happy to be of help, sir.”

Ah it was good to be home.

~*~

**

Two hours earlier.

**

“Destroy everything. I don’t care how you do, but make sure than Anthony Stark returns to his home intact,” Loki hissed at the Destroyer as it stood patiently in front of him.

****

It had taken him a few days to conjure up his plan to send the Destroyer to save Tony. Hopefully it would all work out, and Loki could get back to normal knowing that the mortal was out of harms way. He watched as the Destroyer destroyed the area surrounding the house that Tony was kept at, and saw Tony right away, being carted out and looking very sick. His face was littered with bruises and small cuts and Loki almost chocked on his tongue.

Tony’s eyes locked with the man of metal and his gaze didn’t falter until he saluted a woman behind him who was shooting. Loki smirked, Tony you’re going to really get yourself killed some time.

The Destroyer dropped Tony off and turned to leave. “Who are you?” Tony asked. Loki tensed, internally cursing that the Destroyer couldn’t respond. The Destroyer left and Loki could hear the mortal say ‘thank you’ from behind him.

There. Everything was back to normal now. Stark was safe, Loki wasn’t worried, everything fit back together like it used to.

Well everything except that Loki still craved to visit the mortal. He had most of his powers back by this time, he could probably manage a trip to Earth without much struggle. Just to visit. . ?

_No, if I see him again then I won’t be able to leave. Loki told himself._ It was the truth, but really? Since when had he liked to follow the rules? He smirked to himself and headed out of the hall he’d situated himself in, trying to avoid the fleeting glances of suspicious Asgardians. Most likely most of the population still believed him dead. No matter, it was better to stay under the radar anyway _._ He made his way to his chambers, away from the curious eyes of the royalty and warriors, and locked himself in. The spell wasn’t difficult, but he was transporting himself to New York instead of California this time.

He said the incantation, loud and clear and weaved his hands together, stringing the fabric of the spell between his fingers. The green danced across his fingertips and molded together into a lattice board between them. Flinging the net like green spell around himself he vanished, heading to Midgard.

The portal was useful, and he was glad that no other citizens knew of it or had use of it. He arrived on Earth maybe a minute later, brushing his armor of dust and changing his appearance to a pair of dark green paints and a black v-neck. He had an affinity for these v-neck shirts, they were very soft and thin and laid across his torso perfectly.

He stood on the balcony into Stark Tower, looking through the windows and seeing Anthony talking animatedly on the phone to someone, a glass of scotch with the liquid nearly spilling out in his other hand. Loki smiled and wondered if he should bother knocking. He leaned his head against the cool glass of the door to listen to what he was saying.

“Pepper. . . Pepper. . . Damnit woman would you let me talk? I’m not delusional, I was really in the Bahamas!” Stark said desperately into the phone, trying to get Miss. Potts to agree with him. Loki chuckled quietly, what a great cover up.

Pepper said something on the other end and Tony listened to her in silence, shaking his head in disbelief before speaking again. “Pepper, just calm down okay? You know what happened with Loki, can you really blame me for getting away for a little while?”

Loki had to tell himself to breathe again. He pushed his face closer to the glass and listened closer as Pepper spoke and Tony responded. “I dunno, Pep. I want to see him again. I know that whatever I say isn’t going to make up for what I did, but I want to see him again so badly. I just need to know how. He’s most likely in Asgard now, it’s not like I can pick up of space phone and just call him.”

Silence. Pepper seemed to be laying out details of what Stark should do, if anything, and Loki wondered if he should make himself known. So the mortal had indeed missed the God like the God missed the mortal. How touching. It still didn’t erase what Stark had done, made it seem like Loki was less than nothing and gone out after he had left to find other company. Loki could forgive, give Tony another chance since by the sound of it, Stark wanted the Trickster in his life, too.

“Pepper, I think I’m in love with him. But, I don’t know what to do. You know me, I’ve never let myself get that attached to another person. And even if I let myself, I run. I did run, I told Loki that I couldn’t love him forever because I wasn’t that type of person, but I want to, really badly.” Stark had downed the drink and went to get another one, when he turned around his eyes landed on Loki.

Loki’s mouth hung slightly agape at what he’d heard and he listened to Tony give Pepper an excuse before hanging up. Tony smiled lightly and went to open the door.

“Hi,” he breathed and Loki couldn’t control his face from pure shock. He could feel his eyes bulging lightly and he could feel the light breeze against his lips, the blush that forcefully blossomed onto his cheeks. “Geesh, you look like you just saw a ghost,” Tony said with a small laugh.

Loki said nothing but managed to control his expression. Tony opened the door wider, letting Loki walk in. “Thank you.” Tony said from where he was starting to walk to the couch.

Loki raised a brow. “Pardon?”

Tony turned to face him with a small, gratifying smile. “I only guessed it was you who sent that big metal guy.”

Loki nodded slightly and walked in, closing the door behind him and sitting next to Stark on the couch. They shared a long silence, not letting the other catch their eyes. It was nice in Stark Tower, large and luscious, but more homey than the house in Malibu. There was a large bar in the corner, next to an elevator, with three small steps leading down to the main area, where they now sat. The couch was in the middle surrounded by a few chairs and a card table. On the other side of the room, up another very small set of stairs, there was a bed, with dark burgundy sheets and comforters. Loki eventually let his gaze fall back to Stark, who was watching him analyze the room.

“You like?” Tony asked with a small laugh. Loki only nodded and then there was silence again. “What are you doing here?”

Loki had to think about that. Initially he’d come because he needed to see Stark again. But after hearing the conversation he had with Pepper, that he loves him, he didn’t know exactly what to say. “I missed you,” he ended up deciding on.

Tony let his lips raise into a small knowing smile and nodded. “I missed you, too.”

“What happened that-”

“I think I need to explain a few things,” Tony interrupted and Loki nodded for him to go on. “I have feelings for you, deep feelings that are quite literally going to drive me insane When you left I thought that you’d never come back, but I couldn’t get over you. I thought about you constantly, and I started drinking because I wanted to forget. Turns out even alcohol can’t drown some things.” As if on queue, Tony took a sip of his scotch. “So I went to the party, and I figured that the only way for me to forget you was to be with someone else. So that’s what I tried to do. But then you were there, and I felt completely awful for what I was doing because somewhere in my brain I knew that it wasn’t going to be enough. You were still going to haunt me. And when you said all those things in the elevator I realized that I wanted them, too, but I didn’t know how to handle it. I wanted you so badly it scared me, so I ran like I always do. Now I’m starting to realize that. . . You know, maybe I don’t want to run?” He ended up phrasing it like a question and Loki smiled.

“I don’t want you to run,” Loki whispered and could see Stark smile out of the corner of his eye.

“So we’re really going to do this?” Tony asked, excitement and nervousness in his tone.

“Yes,” Loki said and turned to look at the mans chocolate brown eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. He leaned in and kissed him softly, let himself melt into the other body, let Stark wrap his warm arms around him. It felt so liberating to know that it all had finally paid off. Loki wanted to keep kissing him, he wanted to do more than kiss him, but he had other questions he needed answers to.

Tony grumbled, most likely involuntarily, when Loki released his lips. “Who were those people?” Loki asked, keeping his nose and forehead against Tony’s.

Tony shrugged. “Don’t know. Some sort of organization that wanted you. That’s why they took me. They wanted me to lead them to you.”

“What would they want with me?” Loki asked.

Tony shrugged again. “They didn’t tell me anything other than asking where you were. Told them I didn’t know, of course. The leader type woman’s name was Viper, but that could very easily just be an alias.”

Loki was quiet, letting his mind go through possible groups that could be interested in him. How did they even know who he was? “Do you have people looking for them now?”

“I told Pepper I took a vacation. She doesn’t believe me but that’s what I told her,” Tony said.

‘Why wouldn’t you tell her what actually happened? Tony you were kidnapped, held hostage, and from the looks of it, tortured. Why don’t you have all your sources trying to find them?” Loki asked, disbelieving.

“I’m sure SHIELD will be on it already, they never believe any of my bullshit,” Tony said with a small chuckle.

“SHIELD?” Loki asked.

Tony nodded. “An organization that fights for the good. Lots of secret agent stuff.”

Loki recalled hearing Thor speak of a Son of Coul who was in a group called SHIELD. “My brother has dealt with them.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Loki nodded. “Yes, he was banished to Midgard maybe a year ago now, and dealt with that group. He said they were trying to steal the Lady Jane’s research.”

Tony nodded. “The Foster Theory. Gateway to another dimension. I remember hearing about that. So Thor was the one who caused all the havoc down in New Mexico?”

Loki laughed humorlessly and moved his face away from Tony’s. “Most likely, yes.”

“Sir,” Jarvis said, breaking into their conversation. Loki jumped lightly at the hidden voice.

“Yes, my dear?” Tony sweet talked the AI.

“Nick Fury is on the line.”


	12. I See You In My Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long this took, guys! Real life, sadly, got in the way :(

“Would you mind telling me why the hell you’ve got a Norse God in your house, Stark?” Nick Fury’s always delightful tone said. 

“Nick Fury, how have you been?” Tony asked, loving the moments when he could toy with the director of SHIELD.

“Answer me, Stark, why is there a Norse God in your house?” Fury stressed every word and Loki snorted. 

“Director, I can promise you I mean no harm,” Loki said. Tony looked at him with large eyes and Loki winked. 

“How did you even know he was here?” Tony asked the ceiling where Fury’s voice was coming from. 

“We’ve been watching New Mexico for any other strange disturbances like Thor brought, and we found one,” Fury said and Tony could almost see the distaste in his face. Loki raised a curious eyebrow at that. 

“I did not arrive here via New Mexico,” Loki said, blatantly but leaking with curiosity. 

“Well, someone did. How’d you get here, Loki?” 

“How do you know who I am?” Loki asked, his tone growing fierce. 

“I don’t need to disclose that information to you, Mister Laufeyson!” Nick yelled on the other line and Tony totally did not jump. Nope. Loki looked concerned but then shrugged it off, indifference in his face. 

“So what can I do you for, Nick?” Tony asked. 

“Loki your pet now?” Nick sneered. 

Loki hissed and turned his face away from Tony, looking out the large windows. Tony shook his head but then remembered Nick Fury couldn’t see him. “No. He’s not my pet. He saved my life.” 

Silence on the other end. “What?” Fury hissed. 

“Yeah, I got kidnapped, oh but you didn’t notice that? Hmm, well I was being tortured for information about Loki and he saved me,” Tony said matter-of-factly just because he knew it pissed Fury off. 

“I did know you were kidnapped actually, by the organization named HYDRA,” Fury spat back. “What did they want with Loki?”

Tony shrugged to himself. “Dunno. Wouldn’t tell me. Just said they needed him. What’s HYDRA? Wait a minute. . . You don’t mean. . .”

“Yes, Stark, I am speaking of the terrorist organization HYDRA from the forties,” Fury said, unaffected. Tony had to tell himself to breath normally. 

“Has SHIELD been watching them?” Tony asked. 

“Yes, they went off the grid a while back, though. We thought they might have been the group who took you, but we had no way of finding them.” 

“What could they possibly want with me, Director Fury?” Loki asked, still facing away from Tony. 

“I don’t know, the last time we found a secret hide out of theirs, we found test tubes with some sort of radiation and green slimy stuff, no one could figure out what it was. Not even Banner,” Fury said. 

“You have Banner with you?” Tony asked, more like an excited fan boy than a super hero. 

“Yes, Stark, Doctor Banner was taken into custody here for purposes that haven’t yet arisen.” 

Tony shrugged. Interesting. The last time he heard of Bruce Banner it was that he ran away, somewhere where the big green guy couldn’t come out. He’d had no idea that SHIELD was tying him up like a dog for their use. 

“The Avengers Initiative?” Tony asked. 

“Yes. We think the Hulk and Doctor Banner could be of assistance in the Avengers,” Fury said. “Is Loki still there?” 

“Yes,” Loki hissed before Tony could. 

There was a pause on the other end and Tony and Loki looked at each other like they thought he’d hung up. “I’ll call you later, Stark.” With that the line cut. 

“He believes me a villain,” Loki smirked and rested his head in his hands. 

“If he thought you were a villain then he never would have let all that information go,” Tony said. 

“Yes, but he believes it somewhere in his brain that I am evil. Which I suppose I am. I did try to destroy all of Jotunheim and kill Thor in the process. I am a monster, you know. It was very unwise for Director Fury to trust me with this information,” Loki said. 

“Loki, you’re not a monster. You’re just a guy who has had a lot of bad things happen to him. And you’re not evil, you’re not going to try to take over the world are you?” Tony joked, not really understanding why Loki cocked an eyebrow and let his lips raise into a smirk at that. 

“I’m the God of Mischief,” he said with twisted happiness in his voice. “I just might.” 

“Alright, babe, don’t destroy the world, got it?” Tony said. 

“What did you call me?” Loki asked, his green eyes piercing Tony from where his head rested in his hands. 

“Sorry, I dunno, I thought I’d try for a pet name,” Tony shrugged. 

“I don’t like it. Keep trying,” Loki said with a small laugh. 

“Don’t you have like those big horn things? Your helmet?” Tony asked. Loki nodded. “Can I call you Reindeer Games?”

Loki lifted his head and looked at Tony, his lips bared slightly. “Do you want me to light you on fire?” 

“Okay, I’ll keep trying.” 

~*~

Fourteen disastrous pet names later - including Goldie Horns, Little Green Crazy Machine, and Severus Snape - Tony finally gave up. The God seemed to be enjoying the mortals struggle to find a suitable pet name, and possibly was just saying no them all. 

“Who is this Severus Snape that you speak of?” Loki asked. 

Tony got the definition of the ‘deer in headlights’ expression and raised an eyebrow to his hairline. “You don’t have Harry Potter in Asgard?” Loki shook his head. “Yup, that’s it, movie day today.” 

Tony grabbed Loki’s hand and led him down the stairs, telling Jarvis to prepare the movies and practically throwing Loki onto the couch in front of the television. “You want some popcorn?” Tony called from the kitchen. 

“Popcorn?” Loki asked. Tony ran back and grabbed his hand again, pulling him into the kitchen and putting a popcorn bag in the microwave. 

It might have been one of the best experiences of Tony’s life watching the God of Mischief turn into a bouncing little boy at the sight and sound of the popcorn. The timer beeped and Loki let out a sort of ‘Oooooh’ sound which Stark laughed at and Loki lit the sleeve of Tony’s tee shirt on fire. 

After the popcorn was done, Loki was led back to the couch sitting down and eating little handfuls of popcorn. _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone started and Loki was excited enough with the title that he watched the whole thing, ‘Ooohing’ and ‘Ahhhing’ the entire time._

“See that’s Snape,” Tony said, pointing to Alan Rickman on the screen in his black outfit and long greasy black hair. Loki smirked at that. 

“He doesn’t have a magnificent taste in hair and clothing, and I like his attitude,” Loki said and Tony chuckled. They finished that then moved onto _Chamber of Secrets_ which Loki loved the basilisk. They were half way through _Prisoner of Azkaban_ when Tony felt Loki’s head on his shoulder and the popcorn bucket empty. Tony smiled to himself and turned off the TV, pulling Loki into his arms and walking up the stairs. 

Tony guessed that Loki wouldn’t be entirely opposed to sleeping in his bed with him, so he cured up next to him under the burgundy sheets and fell asleep only minutes later. 

Tony dreamt that night, dreamt about things that unsettled him but also made him extremely curious. Loki was deep blue colored and had eyes like fire, piercing him with a glare that could melt glaciers. Loki made a move to approach him but Tony flinched away, hiding from the monster in front of him. Loki grimaced and turned back to his pale, green, normal form, before turning away from Tony. 

Tony woke up sweating and panting, nervous about maybe saying something in his sleep that he shouldn’t have. It’d been known to happen and more embarrassing than he’d care to admit. But Loki was curled up against his side, snoring softly, his hair splayed above his head like black flames dancing across the white pillows. 

Tony tried to turn his head to see the time, but Loki shook against him, a clear sign that he was awake even though his eyes were still closed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Tony murmured to the top of Loki’s head. 

Loki hummed in understanding. “I sleep light. What’s wrong?” 

“Oh nothing, I had a dream is all,” Tony said absently. 

“Want to talk about it?” Loki muttered. 

Tony shrugged. “You were in it.” Loki smirked and nodded for him to go on. Tony didn’t know how or if he should tell Loki this, it was after all probably the most personal thing the God had to offer, and Tony’s subconscious had taken it from him without his permission. “You were in your Jotun form.” 

Loki’s green eyes flew open in surprise, shock, and anger and locked onto Tony’s face. “What?” He hissed. 

“You were all blue and had red eyes. That was all,” Tony said. Loki searched over his face for traces of lies or cruelty but found that there was none, settling back into the spot right above the arc reactor. 

“It matters not. Now, I’d like to continue to sleep,” Loki said and had his eyes closed again, asleep within seconds. Tony followed after him, finding the rest of his sleep to be dreamless. 

~*~

When Tony woke up there was the feeling of no body heat next to him. He opened his eyes with what felt like a crack, mentally cursing for the pain it brought. The sun was too bright and the air was too cold and the comforters were too far on the other side of the mattress for him to be comfortable. Loki liked to steal the blankets in the middle of the night. Finally, after much rubbing his eyes, he could look around, having his eyes land on the clock which read nine fourteen and then onto-

_“Jesus Christ!”_ Tony screamed and jumped slightly in the bed, pulling the dark red blankets over him and scurrying up against the headboard. There in front of him sat a full fledged Jotun Loki. Red eyes drunk in the sight of Tony, shaking slightly from the horrifying wake up. 

“I’m sorry,” Loki said with a small laugh. After Tony heard the voice he relaxed, let himself search over Loki’s whole body. He was shirtless, only an old pair of sweat pants hanging low on his hips. His skin was deep blue and had ridges of deeper blue circling and twining against his skin. Across his forehead was a necklace like display of ridges, circling his forehead right above his eyes. His eyes, oh my God, they were the deepest, reddest, purest color Tony had ever seen. Only the black pupil stood out in the middle, the rest of the iris in flames. 

That color would look really nice on the suit. 

“What do you think?” Loki asked shyly after Tony had gotten the whole once over. 

“It’s, uh, it’s different, that’s for sure,” Tony stammered. 

“Different how? In a bad way?” Loki growled. Okay, clearly Tony really needed to watch his words around this subject. It must have taken a lot of strength for Loki to decide to show him this and he wasn’t going to mess it up. 

“No, different in a wonderful way,” Tony said with a sweet smile to add emphasis. Loki looked unconvinced and moved forward to sit on the edge of the bed next to Tony. “May I?” Tony asked, raising a hand as if to trace brail. 

Loki hesitated but then nodded, soothing into the touch that the mortal placed on his stomach. Loki’s skin was cold, freezing, like a block of ice sat there in front of him instead of a body. He traced with the tips of his fingers first, going over the ridges in the smooth skin, then using the back of his hand to trail up over Loki’s chest and to his neck, where he settled his hand. “You look beautiful.” 

Loki’s eyes found Stark’s from where they’d been watching his hand and grimaced. “Thank you,” he said, sarcasm coming out in enough waves Tony thought he’d drown in it. 

“I mean it. You look wonderful,” Tony said, and to prove his point he pulled Loki in for a frost biting kiss. Loki was alarmed, Tony could tell, and guessed that it was because Loki hadn’t expected this type of reaction when he looked like what he called a ‘monster’. Tony bit into the soft, cold skin of Loki’s bottom lip and felt him quiver against him. It was strange, and Tony was sure his tongue was getting frost bitten but he didn’t care, it felt good to have the fire and ice on your tongue. 

Slowly the sensation fell, and Tony opened his eyes to see a pale, green eyed Loki in front of him. The God smiled and nodded, more to himself than to Tony. “Thank you,” he said, sarcasm gone this time. 

“You’re welcome,” Tony said and moved a piece of Loki’s midnight black hair behind his ear. Loki leaned into the touch and smiled slightly. “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast.”

Loki is an excellent cook, Tony hadn’t forgotten the time Loki made him breakfast before, and whipped up some eggs, pancakes, and sausages, which Tony grateful ate. 

Loki didn’t eat much, only a pancake, a sunny side up egg, and two sausage links - It wasn’t very much sustenance for a God - before returning to the living room on turning on the news. 

“Since when you learn how to work the remote?” Tony called from the kitchen when he heard the familiar voice of Matt Lauer from the other room. 

“Tony, I’m not as dimwitted as you seem to believe. I was one of the smartest men in all of Asgard,” Loki said, not turning around to face Tony as he spoke. 

“Alright, love, alright,” Tony said. He took another bite of pancake and could almost feel the tension in the room, thick like jello. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you-”

“No, I, I like it. Love. It sounds like I’m wanted.” Loki appeared in the doorway with a small smile stretching on his face. 

Tony smiled and nodded once, directing his gaze back down to his breakfast. “Alright, love.” 

“When you’re done, I’d like to watch the next Harry Potter,” Loki said dismissively and left to return to the television. Tony chuckled, he knew he’d like it. 

~*~

“Sir, we found them,” Coulson said, showing Fury to a monitor where HYDRA agents were shuffling in and out of, carrying guns and helping the wounded. Fury spotted Viper right away, yelling at people to get a move on. 

“Can you take me inside?” Fury asked. Coulson nodded and pressed a button, switching to a smaller camera that was connected to a small robot. The robot walked inside the building, avoiding peoples watch and found the center of the house, where most of the agents were heading or leaving from. 

“Wait, what it that?” Fury asked incredulously. Laying on a table in the middle of the room was a large body of metal, similar to the Iron Man suit, but taller, and shinier. There were tubes of the green liquid sitting around on tables and Fury leaned over Coulsons’ chair to switching on the audio feed. 

_“Madam Hydra, we have found a way to create the machine, all we need now is Loki Laufeyson.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to become AU-ish very quickly after this. So just bare with me :)


	13. That's Why I Stay Here

“You know I must agree with Severus on this one. I would have killed Dumbledore as well.” Tony had gotten a kick out of the whole ‘Loki loves Harry Potter’ situation but now it was just getting out of hand. “I never liked Dumbledore much to begin with.”

Tony decided not to reply to that. Loki just talked to himself about his thoughts and Tony found it best not to intervene. “Jarvis, play Deathly Hallows part 1 would you?”

“No, let’s save that for another time,” Loki said, turning on Tony and piercing him with those addictively green eyes. Tony shrugged and the TV ceased its playing. “You know I never quite thanked you for what you did for me.”

****

Tony was taken off guard by that one. “You don’t need to thank me.”

“Yes, I do, Stark. I don’t let debts easily slip my watch.”

“Loki it’s what-” As soon as he felt Loki’s lips on his, his tongue tracing his lower lip so wantonly, his hands gripping his waist, the idea of _debts_ had a whole new meaning.

Loki pushed him back, sliding his hands under Stark’s thin tee shirt, and leaning over him against the sofa, his lips opening Tony’s and sliding his tongue inside. It was slower than Tony had really expected it to be. For some reason he’d thought the God would be a big fan of quick, harsh, crazy jungle sex, but this didn’t seem that way at all. Tony could feel the smile against Loki’s lips as he moved down his jaw, latching his teeth onto the mortal’s neck. Tony let out an involuntary moan and arched himself up closer to Loki, who smirked against Tony’s neck and moved farther down, pulling the collar of his shirt down to expose the sharp bone.

Tony had never felt anything like it. The God’s tongue was warmer than he’d expected it to be, but his lips were still that familiar type of ice, making it a sort of yin yang, fire ice, right brain left brain, feeling that Tony had never experienced before. Loki’s hand trailed lazily over Tony’s chest but quickly started to dip lower, undoing his pants.

“Loki, damnit they’re sweats, can’t you take them off any faster?” Tony hated how desperate he sounded and Loki chuckled against Tony’s collar bone before biting down and making any speech Tony wanted to formulate vanish.

“I like going slow,” Loki murmured.

“I can _tell_.” Loki had finally gotten his hand inside of Tony’s pants, the icy finger tips tracing him and Tony failed at not bucking against the touch.

“Sir, Miss Potts is here,” Jarvis alerted, and gee did people have the worst timing.

“Lock her out, _Jarrrrvis_.” Loki chuckled again at Stark’s overly high rendition of the word, but couldn’t really blame him for it. He was after all, a God. He knew what he was doing.

“She is demanding you let her in, sir, you know she’ll find in a way in somehow,” Jarvis spoke again. Nothing killed the mood like an artificial voice reprimanding you.

“Tony!” Pepper called from one of the rooms somewhere. She was already inside and Loki was still on top of him, and he still had a, uh. . . Well shoot.

“Son of a bitch,” Tony cursed under his breath and Loki lifted himself off of him, removing his hands from Tony’s pants and settling against the cushion next to him. “Sorry,” Tony whispered and Loki smirked in understanding. They’d finish this later.

“Tony?” Pepper called again, closer this time.

“In here, Pep!” Tony called back, hearing her stilettos clacking on the hardwood floor towards him. She appeared in the doorway with an expression that was much to cold for just a regular drop by.

Her eyes landed on the God’s dark head, who wasn’t facing her when she entered. She pointed and raised an eyebrow at Tony who nodded. She smiled in approval but then noticed the overly large bulge in Tony’s pants. Well, this got awkward fast.

Loki turned around and smiled lightly at Pepper. “Good morning, Lady Potts.”

“Hello Loki, it’s good to see you’re back,” Pepper said, avoiding catching Loki’s or Tony’s eye and acting like they were just floating above the waist. “Tony, I need to talk to you.”

“Well, I’d sure hope so,” Tony said. Pepper walked around the room and settled into the recliner in the corner of the room, facing the couch.

“I know that you weren’t in the Bahamas, SHIELD contacted me,” Pepper started.

“Well fu-”

“And before you go into your whole rant about it, this is much more serious than you thought.” Pepper stood and walked over the couch, handing Tony a small binder with pictures in it. “Take a look.”

“What is it?” Tony asked, flipping through the pages.

“It’s what HYDRA wants Loki for,” Pepper said, walking back to sit in the chair. Loki leaned over to look at the photos with Tony. It was definitely the place where Tony had been held captive, but it was in a room that he’d never seen over the duration of his stay. In the middle of the room was a table, surrounded by agents looking over it, some stringing wires into it, others just watching. Tony flipped the page to another picture, showing Viper in the corner talking with someone in a white lab coat. The next page showed what everyone was looking at.

On the table, in a sort of Frankenstein type way, was the body of what looked very similar to the machine Loki had sent to save him. Tony risked a glance at Loki, whose eyes were wide and disbelieving.

“It’s the Destroyer,” Loki whispered so only Tony could hear.

“It’s the thing you sent to save me?” Tony asked and Loki nodded. “How’d they get their hands on it?”

“It is not _the_ Destroyer but it is a remake, not quite as well done, nor nearly as powerful, but it was what they were going for when they made it,” Loki said.

Tony looked up at Pepper who was watching them suspiciously. “When were these taken?”

“Yesterday. SHIELD bugged the place once they found out it was HYDRA. They’ve been working on it since you got out, and on the audio feed they said that they need Loki to power it,” Pepper explained.

“Why would they need me? How do they even know who I am?” Loki asked.

“Yeah I’m more curious about how the number one terrorist organization knows about Loki when he hasn’t even been spotted in public,” Tony chimed in.

Pepper shrugged. “I don’t know, but they want you no matter what. Are you able to power this, Destroyer?”

Loki shook his head. “The power of the Destroyer is restrained with the Allfather, I do not have the power to control it nor to power it. I would been less than useless for what they need.”

Pepper nodded in understanding and stood, grabbing the binder from Tony’s hands. “SHIELD is all over it. They’ve got agents watching the place 24/7. I just thought that you should see this.”

Tony nodded. “Thanks, Pepper.”

She left without another word, and neither man spoke until the sound of stilettos was gone. Loki stood and started pacing angrily, his head hung low and his hands clenched into bone white fists.

Tony watched the God walk, his mind sprinting with thoughts about HYDRA. If they were creating a machine like the one that Loki had sent, then it could cause a lot of damage, especially with agents added to the mixture. If SHIELD was watching them, hopefully they’d be able to stop them from causing much havoc, but what if someone tried to kidnap Loki for this? They’d torture him until he’d give them what they wanted. But he couldn’t give them what they wanted.

Man, you know, life actually used to be kind of simple.

Loki abruptly turned on the spot and headed towards the stairs, Tony trailing closely behind. The God was tall, and Tony was short, meaning that it was quite difficult for him to keep up. Loki walked into the bedroom and went out onto the balcony, looking over New York city. His hands gripped the railing brutally, enough that Tony thought it would shatter.

“Loki, you okay?” Tony asked hesitantly from behind and Loki visibly relaxed at the voice.

“They are going to destroy your world,” Loki said plainly, his voice catching in the wind.

“What?” Tony asked, walking next to him and looking at him. The Gods eyes were unfocused, watching over the busy city of New York.

“If they can someone master the power of the Destroyer they’d be able to destroy this whole realm. There’d be nothing anyone could do to stop it.”

Tony removed his gaze from his kinda/sorta/almost Norse God boyfriend to look straight down to the street below. “I think I know of one way.”

He could see Loki look at him through his peripheral vision but didn’t look at him. “How so?”

Tony smiled weakly to himself and looked at Loki, the God’s face embodying confusion. “The Avengers.”

~*~

“Nick, isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?” Tony asked an hour later while he was on the phone with the Director.

“Stark, this threat might not even come into play. We’re not going to gather you all up for something that might not even happen!” Fury barked on the other end.

“What the hell, Fury? I thought SHIELD was supposed to protect people? Because if you’ve got HYDRA, who has been around for quite some time now, I’d think that you’d want to make sure,” Tony said, slamming his fist against the counter of the dresser in his room. Loki sat lazily in one of the chairs in the room, lighting the air on fire and causing it to swirl like a snake around his fingers.

Silence filled the line and Tony thought that Nick had hung up, but then of course, his voice returned. “Is Loki with us on this?”

Loki looked up at Tony and nodded. “Yeah, he’ll help.”

“What about Thor?” Fury asked.

“If I am able to get in touch with my brother then I am certain he will be of help,” Loki said. A small hawk like creature made of water appeared and flew towards the snake on Loki’s fingers, making them both disappear in a _plop_ of water.

“Get on that then, Laufeyson.” Loki visibly flinched at the name and Stark made a mental note to punch Fury in the face if he called him that again. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

End of call.

“You should really teach me how to do that,” Tony said, walking over the stand by Loki.

“It’s not something one can easily teach,” Loki said, making five miniature rings of fire appear and spinning them around like they were dancing. With a flick of his wrist they vanished.

“Well it’s cool,” Tony said.

Loki smirked. “Does that require a thank you?”

“I’d say so.”

“Then thank you.”

Tony placed his hand on the back of Loki’s neck and trailed it down his still uncovered shoulders, feeling Loki lean into the touch a bit. “Do you want to continue where we left off?”

Loki shook his head. “There is too much to do now, I must get a hold of my. . . Thor. I must return to Asgard.”

“Oooh, can I come?” Tony said, removing his hand and kneeling in front of where Loki sat like a child begging to go to an amusement park.

Loki snorted. “It is not nearly as exciting as you might think.”

“Easy for you to say, you’ve lived their your whole life. I, however, have never even been away from Earth.”

“No, Tony.”

“Whyyyyy?” Tony whined and Loki smacked him lightly across the face. “Okay fine, go perform your duties in another realm, leave your boyfriend all alone and vulnerable.”

“Is that what you are?” Loki asked, standing.

“Well I kinda figured as much,” Tony said, standing with him.

Loki nodded, more so to himself than to Tony. “Alright, _boyfriend.”_ Loki hooked an arm around Tony’s waist and pulled him flush against him, leaning his forehead against the mortal’s. “Be good while I’m gone.” He kissed him softly, tenderly, slowly, like he knew that they might not see each other again for days.

“Hmm, you sure you don’t want to finish before you go?” Tony murmured against Loki’s lips and the God smiled.

“I’m sure. When I get back,” Loki exhaled, licking Tony’s bottom lip and planting a bite against the corner of his jaw. “I promise.”

Tony nodded, not able to speak in response and leaned his head back for Loki to bite across his neck. Suddenly it was gone, the feeling of Loki’s body against him and his teeth scraping across his skin. Tony opened his eyes to find the deity gone.

And what do you know? Second tightness in his pants today.

~*~

Loki arrived in Asgard minutes later, appearing in Thor’s chambers. In the large bed lay Thor, most likely naked although the sheets were covering his waist, his arms above his head and his legs spread widely in front of him. It was not unusual to find Thor sleeping this way, naked, oafish, snoring like a Bilgesnipe, but what caught Loki off guard was the head of black hair face down next to him.

It would seem the conversation Sif had about being in love with Thor went well.

Loki smirked and walked to the side of the bed, not caring in the least that they were both naked and peacefully in dream land. Loki poked Thor in the face like he’d done as a child when he wanted Thor to wake up because he was snoring too loudly or because he had rolled over onto his brothers legs and was cutting the circulation.

Thor’s nose wrinkled in irritation but he didn’t wake. Loki poked him again, harder this time, more with the nail so that a small crescent of red appeared on his cheek. That still did nothing.

“Oh, by the nine-” Loki said, raising his hand and smacking Thor full across the face, holding back a laugh when the man screamed like a little girl and jumped in the bed. Sif awoke, her eyes wide and embarrassed.

“Good afternoon, brother,” Loki sneered, sarcasm thick.

“Loki? What are you doing here?” Thor asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looking over at Sif, who remained quiet.

“Midgard is in need of your assistance,” Loki said. This was much too fun to watch Thor get flustered right after he’d woken. And Sif’s uncomfortable position only added to the joy.

“Midgard? Why, what has happened?” Thor asked, his tone instantly thicker and more concerned.

“Nothing yet, but they would like you to be there when it does,” Loki said. Thor nodded and looked over at Sif.

“I must leave,” Thor said and Sif nodded in understanding. Thor got out of the bed and wrapped a sheet around himself, going to change into his armor.

“What happened?” Loki asked once he and Sif were alone. Sif smiled slightly.

“I kissed him. Told him I loved him. One thing led to another. . .” Sif trailed off and Loki decided not to listen. He felt slightly happy for Sif and Thor, even though he really had no reason to. Thor reentered the room, full armor on his body and Mjolnir in his hand. The brothers nodded at each other and stood together, letting Loki cover them in the portal, going back to Earth.

~*~

****

“Stark open the door,” Fury said from outside the glass door Tony motioned for Jarvis to let him in. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Tony stood from the recliner and walked over to Fury, who was not alone.

“Tony Stark, I’d like you to meet Steve Rogers. More commonly known, as Captain America.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, over 100 kudos. You guys make my life complete. Thanks for sticking with me through this, even after my horrible writer blocks. It means a lot <3


	14. There's No Release

“The man out of time,” Tony smirked, raising a hand to Steve, who smiled politely and shook it. 

“The brightest man of our age,” Steve responded with. 

“Mister Stark, Steve is going to be staying with you until I can get the rest of the team assembled. Once that happens, you will be housing them all,” Nick said, walking to get himself a drink. 

“Wait, what?” Tony said, whirling around to face Nick who was eyeing the drink suspiciously. 

“You heard me, Stark. This is the only place big enough for you all,” Fury said with a shrug. 

“How many of you all are there?” Tony asked incredulously. 

“Well including Loki, there would be seven of you,” Fury said, testing the alcohol. 

“Seven?!” Tony stressed. He really had not signed over Stark Tower for this whole thing and he wasn’t about to let six almost complete strangers come parading in and stealing all his empty rooms. I mean, it’s not that he didn’t have enough room, just that. . . Tony Stark likes to be a lone wolf. Especially if Loki’s around. 

“Yes, Stark, seven, and will be able to handle this? Because you can move them into the Malibu house if you want, your choice,” Fury said. 

“Can I just buy a new house?” Tony asked and Steve chuckled lightly. 

“What about your fathers old mansion?” Fury asked with the eyebrow over his good eye raised. 

Tony contemplated that for a bit. “The Avengers Mansion,” Steve said from behind Tony and Tony whirled around to give him an approving nod. 

“Yes! The Avengers Mansion. Does that work for you, Director?” Tony said sarcastically and it was pretty apparent that Fury was not pleased. 

Nick downed his drink and got up from the stool he’d been inhabiting, handing the glass to Stark as he walked past. “No. Here will be better for everyone. I’ll leave you two alone, let Steve get settled, and play nicely, Mister Stark.” With that Fury left, leaving the super soldier and the man with the iron suit alone. 

“So, how’re you adjusting?” Tony asked absently, walking to the bar and setting Fury’s glass in the sink before pouring him one of his own. He heard Steve’s feet padding across the wooden floor behind him and saw him lean against the counter in a nonchalant way in his peripheral vision. 

“It’s taking a lot of getting used to, but I’m adjusting just about as well as could be expected,” Steve said. Man did this guy sound like a patriot or what? 

“Well, that’s good I suppose?” Tony said, finishing the drink and turning so he was leaning against the bar similarly to Rogers. 

“Yes,” Steve said, flashing a smile at Tony who Tony was sure made all the girls super excited. “I must say I never expected you to hold so much resemblance to your father.”

Tony snorted. “Thanks but no thanks. I’ve tried to make myself less and less like my old man.” Tony downed the drink. 

“Why’s that?” Steve asked with his eyebrows lowered questioningly. 

“My old man never told me he loved me. He always treated me like I was second rate, not good enough in his eyes. Or that he always had something more important to do than deal with me,” Tony said. 

Steve nodded in understanding but didn’t look truly convinced of Tony’s words. “He was a good man, your father. He taught me a lot.” 

“Well it’s good to know he showed someone kindness, I just thought he was a true asshole,” Tony smirked, getting himself another drink. 

“It’s rude to talk about your father that way,” Steve reprimanded, and no, okay, Tony’s half-way drunk and there is no way that Captain America is going to give him a pep talk about his father. That’s just not going to happen. 

“That man was not my father. Biologically yes, he was, but he doesn’t deserve to be called that word,” Tony hissed, his eyes darting to Steve’s angered blue ones. 

“Your father was a great man and you-”

“My father was an-” 

The door opened before Tony could get the words out, and in came Loki and a very tired looking Thor not far behind. Tony’s body relaxed once he saw Loki, and he definitely couldn’t have timed it more perfectly. 

“I brought a guest,” Loki motioned behind him to Thor who was looking around the doorway and letting his eyes finally land on Tony. The big jolly man’s face broke into an enormous smile and came over to encase Tony in a hug.

“Man of Iron, it is good to see you again,” Thor said and Tony would have responded if it wasn’t for his air supply being cut by giant Pecs.

Once Thor released him and gave him a chance to catch his breath, Tony responded. “Good to see you again, Thor. Um, everyone, this is Steve Rogers, Captain America, and he’s also part of our little knitting circle.” 

“Knitting circle? My brother informed me that this was going to-” 

“Thor, Tony was joking,” Loki sneered and walked up behind Thor to Tony’s side, curling a long arm around his waist and gripping his hip with long fingers. “Don’t joke with him, he’s a bit. . . Slow,” Loki said, leaning in and kissing circles around Tony’s earlobe which was really a dangerous thing to do with Steve and Thor around. 

“Are you two um. . . Fondue?” Steve asked shyly and Loki removed his tongue from Tony’s ear just long enough to smirk at the soldier. 

“Lingo has changed a bit since then, Uncle Sam,” Tony said but nodded. “We are together if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Steve nodded in understanding but looked set off at the idea of two men together. Forties, Tony reminded himself. 

“I thought you said his name was-” 

“Thor! It was a joke, again,” Loki said and pinched Tony’s hip hard enough for him to yelp before unwinding from the shorter man. 

Tony chuckled. “Sorry, I guess I’m going to have to watch that.” Loki nodded. “So! Who wants to play beer pong?” 

~*~

Ten cups of beer later and Tony’s pretty sure he needs to check into the hospital. Being the only one completely wasted - Two Gods and an enhanced human being - Tony felt a little self conscious, like he could go off at any moment. Loki and himself were on a team, facing off against Thor and Cap, who were surprisingly good for being just muscle. 

Loki was also very good at the game but Tony guessed there was some magic in there. 

“Okay, come on Tony I think that you’ve had enough to drink,” Loki said after they’d finished and Tony was slumped on the floor laughing about something he couldn’t even remember. 

“Lo-ee you can hole yur ligure vewy well!” Tony announced and was carted off, away from Steve and Thor who were conversing about something, completely ignoring the drunken man.

“Much better than you can,” Loki said and swung Tony onto his shoulder in a fireman position so that Tony’s face was against his ass. 

“I like da vew from her,” Tony slurred and bit Loki lightly just below his belt as the God started to take him to his room. “An yor a Gawd, o curse oo can hole yur ligure!” 

Loki grimaced and finally got Tony into the bedroom, throwing him harshly onto it after Tony bit him again. Harder this time. 

“Lo-ee, c’mere,” Tony slurred and pulled himself off the bed and up to Loki’s face. 

“When you can’t even pronounce my name right, there is no way I’m going to sleep with you,” Loki said, disregarding the bites that Tony was planting on the corners of his mouth. 

“I don think ther is goin to be munch sweeping,“ Tony murmured and Loki was shocked that Tony could still sound sexy with horrible breath, and bad slurring. Tony’s hands sought access to the front of Loki’s trousers, but the taller pulled them away. “Ahh, you no fun,” Tony said, licking a stripe down Loki’s neck and smiling when it elicited a small shiver. “You know ou wan it.” 

“I do, just not when you’re drunk off your ass and won’t remember any of this in the morning,” Loki said, pushing away from Tony so that the man couldn’t do something much more sinister that Loki couldn’t say no to. 

“Ou no fun,” Tony repeated and pouted, leaning back against the headrest.

“I’m aware,” Loki smirked and got onto the bed next to Tony. “I’ll sleep next to you if you promise not to try to rape me in my sleep.” 

“I pomise, Lo-ee,” Tony slurred and he sounded so much like a child that Loki almost wanted to just hug him. “Can I a lease cuddle?” 

Loki laughed at that. “Fine, you can ‘cuddle’.” 

Tony nodded and wrapped his arms around Loki’s middle, pulling him close so that his face was buried between the God’s neck and shoulder. “I lub you, Lo-ee.” 

“I love you, too, Tony,” Loki said and wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulder, realizing that this was the first time they’d said that to each other. 

~*~

The sun was too bright and the air was too warm and the body pasted against his side stunk like liquor. Not the best way to wake up, but he’d had worse. Turning his head slightly, Loki found Tony, snoring softly against his neck and drooling onto his shirt sleeve. Attractive, Tony, Loki thought and tried to maneuver himself from the hung over man.

Looking over at the clock he saw that it was already past ten, but there was no way for him to leave without waking up Tony. So Loki groaned internally and laid back, looking up at the ceiling and listening to Tony’s snores. 

~*~

“I honestly would rather give myself a lobotomy than go and live with Stark,” Natasha hissed after Nick had told her the news. She was fingering a knife and stabbed it into the table. 

“Nat, he can’t be that bad,” Clint tried but she lifted the knife and held it against his neck before he could say another word. 

“I’m sorry Agent Romanoff, but Stark is the only one who had enough room for you all,” Fury said, walking over and taking the knife from the Russians hand. 

Natasha groaned and leaned back in her chair heavily, avoiding eye contact like a stubborn teenager. 

“I’ve never met him so I don’t really know what he’s like. I got to watch Thor fight but nothing more,” Clint said, turning to Fury. “Is Banner coming too?”

“I have yet to decide if I think Doctor Banner should be released from our watch,” Fury said, slumping into the chair he’d previously been sitting in before Black Widow tried to murder Hawkeye. 

“I think it’s a bad idea. And you know that Stark will do everything he can to bring out the Hulk,” Natasha said, more to Fury that to the other guest. 

“Why?” Barton asked. 

“Because Stark likes excitement, he’d probably love getting chased around by a giant green man,” Natasha said. 

“It does sound like it could-” 

“Shut up, Barton,” Natasha and Nick said in unison and Clint rolled his eyes. “When do we need to be there?” Natasha asked. 

“You don’t need to be at Stark Tower now, we’d just like you to be there soon, in case HYDRA decides they’d like to attack,” Fury said and the assassins nodded. 

“I’m holding it off,” Natasha said and Clint chuckled. 

“Same here.” 

~*~

Tony eventually woke up with a skull shattering headache and a cold form against his head. He opened his eyes warily, testing out the lighting in the room so that he wouldn’t hurt his brain even more, and finding that someone had conveniently remembered to close the blinds. 

He couldn’t remember much of what happened last night, only lots of drinks and laughing really hard about something Steve might have done, no Thor, no Steve, no, never mind who cares. His eyes found Loki laying next to him, shockingly asleep which Tony hadn’t expected, and his arms curled around his shoulders. Tony still couldn’t quite get over how much more innocent and young Loki looked when he was asleep, it was like looking at a whole different person. Loki’s long eyelashes brushed against the tops of his cheeks and his mouth was slightly agape, letting a small, cool breeze, flow out, and a deep lungful come back in. Tony smiled to himself and cuddled in closer, enjoying the moments when the God wasn’t completely. . . God-like. 

Turned out to be a mistake when Loki’s eyes flew open at the contact, the black pupil disappearing behind a shield of green. 

“Good morning,” Tony murmured, kissing Loki’s neck softly. “Thanks for closing the blinds.” 

“It wasn’t me, Jarvis did it. And good morning to you, too,” Loki said with a weak smile in his voice, his fingers stretching gingerly against Stark’s shoulders. “How’s your hangover?”

“Perfectly awful,” Tony said and Loki chuckled softly. “What happened last night?” 

“Beer pong happened last night, Tony,” Loki said with a smirk. 

“Ah, I figured as much,” Tony said and Loki chuckled again. “Is anyone else awake?” 

Loki shrugged, indifferent. “I haven’t been out of bed.”

There was an awkward moment of silence, Tony leaning against Loki and Loki carding his long fingers in and out of Tony’s hair. 

“Jarvis alerted me earlier this morning that the rest of the Avengers are going to be coming later today,” Loki whispered. 

“Shit, seriously? I don’t want my tower to be rented to a bunch of random super heroes,” Tony grumbled and Loki grimaced. 

“You already have Thor, Steven, and myself. This tower is large enough to fit a few more.” 

“I know it’s large enough I just don’t want more people here,” Tony explained and Loki shifted himself so that his feet hung out over the side of the bed. 

“Well I’d suggest you get used to it, because they’re here,” Loki said and lifted himself from the bed, heading for the door without waiting for Tony. 

~*~

When Tony finally got himself emotionally and physically prepared for the fresh hell he was going to have to endure, he walked down the stairs, finding Thor and Loki seated next to each other on one of the smaller couches in the room, Steve sitting in a recliner with the newspaper in his hand, and four backs of mysterious heads sitting on the couch. 

One of the heads turned and it was Nick Fury, his good eye piercing Tony and a sly smile coming onto his lips. “Mister Stark, how nice of you to finally join us.” 

Tony walked around to the couch that Loki and Thor were sitting at, and situated himself in between the two Gods. On the couch across from him sat Nick Fury, his much too amused face still locked on him, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, sitting next to him playing with her nails and not looking the least bit pleased about this situation. On her side was Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, who Tony had never met but had heard stories about, and on his side sat the jolly green giant, Bruce Banner, looking extremely uncomfortable. 

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Avengers initiative,” Fury announced, standing from his spot on the couch and pacing around the room. “We’ve got Thor Odinson and Loki Laufeyson, from Asgard. Tony Stark, of course. Agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, both very skilled assassins. Steven Rogers, the super soldier. And lastly, Bruce Banner, who houses the Hulk.” Fury said, pointing a finger to each person as he said it. “Now I expect you all to get along and not blow anything up because of who stole the last of the coffee in the morning. I will be out doing field work around the HYDRA hideout today, so don’t come bothering me.” 

With that Fury exited the building. 

“He’s really just something you want to cuddle isn’t he?” Tony said and Bruce chuckled quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so first thing's first: Sorry for how long this took. I had no internet connection for a few days and then I just couldn't think of where to take it so this is what happened. Second off, this chapter really is just kind of there I suppose, it's a total place filler and something interesting is going to happen soon. Promise. :) And lastly, a huge thank you to all who are keeping up with this story <3 I love you guys! (Also, comments, kudos, and such, they get me super excited and make me want to write more, so. . . yeah.)


	15. But I Can Feel You Touching Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. How quickly the rating can change.

They bond as well as can be expected for a group of complete misfits and strangers. Tony hits it off with Clint and Bruce, even though Bruce hardly says a word. Natasha surprisingly takes a liking to Steve, and Thor is just everyone’s best friend. Loki stays quiet throughout their conversations, sitting on the couch and playing around with the same little fire snake like he always does. 

Tony finds his way over to his side and kisses the top of his head, scooting to sit next to him. “So maybe it won’t be too bad.” 

Loki snorts at that and the snake disappears. “I told you that you’d take a liking to them.” 

Tony nods absently to himself. “What about you, my little social butterfly? Do you like them?” 

“I must warn you that if you ever call me something related to a butterfly again, that I will string you to train tracks and watch you die,” Loki says, raising an eyebrow when Stark laughs. “You doubt that I will?” 

“You talk big, but you’d never-” Instantly, he’s taken off his feet by his neck and being pushed up against the wall behind the couch. Natasha has her gun loaded and aimed at Loki within seconds and Clint isn’t far behind with his bow. 

“Brother,” Thor steps forward, but Loki surrounds himself and Tony in a large green bubble for which Thor can’t get through. 

“Never underestimate what I am capable of, Stark,” Loki hisses, his mouth only inches from Tony’s. 

“Loki---Drop the---mask,” Tony sputters, trying to gain little breath back as his air supply is being cut. 

Loki’s expression changes from dangerous to scared as Stark gets his words out, and his hand drops from Tony’s neck. The man lands on his feet with a quiet thud and he gasps in a lungful of air. “Okay, love, you need to stop doing that,” he chokes, rubbing his neck. 

Loki pays no attention, his eyes are glued to the floor and the green bubble vanishes. Natasha cocks her gun but Loki makes as if he doesn’t hear it, and leaves the room quickly, running up the stairs and away from the slightly murderous eyes of the Avengers. 

“What was that about?” Banner asks quietly from where he’s sitting on the recliner. Tony’s kind of surprised that Banner didn’t loose control after Tony was attacked, but made sure not to mention it, just in case he was fighting to hold it back. 

“I think it’s his time of the month,” Tony responds with, because it’s the only thing he can think of. Natasha smirks and lowers her gun, punching Clint in the shoulder when he laughs and tells Tony he knows what that’s like. Thor still looks startled, worried, and confused, but says nothing. “I should probably check and see if he’s okay.” 

Tony exits the room, hurrying up the stairs and trying to go through lists upon lists of possibilities as to why Loki would have attacked him and why he would have dropped him after what he’d said. Tony knew Loki was a bit tense about this type of stuff, but he had never expected this type of reaction. 

He walks to his room, which has the door closed and knocks a few times before the door is magically opened. 

“Loki?” Tony calls, finding him sitting on the bed with his back to the door. “You okay, love?” 

Loki doesn’t move or make a sound when Tony sits down next to him, just continues to stare out at the city of New York. Tony pokes his shoulder. “I was just joking. I didn’t mean to make you upset.” 

At that Loki smiles weakly, moving his watch down to his hands, where the snake has reappeared. Man, maybe Tony should buy him a pet. “I know you didn’t. It’s just that sometimes when someone says something you’ve been trying to forget, you loose yourself a little.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t understand any of that,” Tony said and hated that he really hadn’t gotten the point Loki was trying to get across. 

Loki chuckled humorlessly and turned to look back out the window. “When you said drop the mask. . . I remembered who I was when I tried to kill Thor. I remembered how much unlike myself I was in that amount of time. I hid behind the mask. I guess I never really took the entire thing off.” 

Tony blinked a few times, processing. “Everyone goes through times like that. Everyone looses themselves for a little while.”

“Maybe so, but to loose yourself enough to try to kill your until very recently, brother?” Loki asked. 

“Well no, but you’re a god, so the bar is heightened anyways,” Tony said with a shrug. Loki turned and finally let his eyes find Tony’s, the bright green astonishing the brown. 

“You really do believe that I’m good, don’t you?” Loki whispered. 

Tony nodded. “You saved my life, Loki. I’m in love with you. I don’t have any reason to believe that you’re evil or anything but good. I hope I never do,” Tony said with a crooked smile. At the single tear Loki let fall down his cheek, Tony leaned in and kissed it, but Loki surprised him by pulling his head over to meet his lips instead.

Loki was needy, wanting, his tongue seeking access into Stark’s mouth instantly. Tony barely had time to react before he was being thrown over onto his back, the God hovering over him. 

“What are you doing?” Tony asked stupidly, letting Loki lean down and bite away on his neck, leaving angry red marks that would take a while to go away. 

“Isn’t it rather clear what I’m doing?” Loki murmured, his hips lowering to make contact with Tony’s, causing the shorter man to gasp. 

“I know what you’re doing but why?” Tony asked again. He really wasn’t expecting Loki to come out of the blue and want him like this, but hey, he wasn’t complaining that’s for damn sure. 

Loki moved away from Tony’s neck to look him straight in the eyes, the green melted into a pool of black, absently licking his upper lip once. “Because I want to take you apart and mark you as mine, Anthony Stark.” 

Well, when you put it that way. . .

Tony grabbed the back of Loki’s neck and crushed their lips together, a heated moan coming from deep inside Loki’s chest bubbling through him. Tony flipped them both so that he was on top, moving his lips from Loki’s down onto his collar bone and hastily taking off the God’s shirt. Loki’s breath hitched when Stark bit down onto his bone, making the taller arch his hips closer to Tony’s. 

“How do you want me?” Tony whispered against Loki’s cool skin, trailing kisses down his torso and to the top of his pants.

“Like this,” Loki rasped, his voice deep with wanting. Tony raised an eyebrow but then shrugged lightly. Maybe Loki had some thing about straight up sex, maybe Tony would make him pregnant with a walrus or something. 

Tony started to undo Loki’s pants with his hand, following the trail downward with his tongue. Loki moaned again, pulling Stark up over himself and then flipping them over, grapping onto his cock as he did so. 

“Jesus, Loki,” Tony gasped, scrunching his eyes together when Loki started to touch him, harder this time. 

Loki kissed the side of Tony’s neck softly as he touched him, his movements fueled by the noises Stark emitted. Tony came with a curse, lifting his hips eagerly into Loki’s fist, slamming his head backwards into the pillows. After the high, Tony slid himself downwards under Loki to take him in his mouth, almost as soon as his lips found Loki, the taller screamed through his climax, ripping the sheets on either side of Tony’s body. 

Tony lifted himself back onto the pillow and Loki curled himself next to him. Tony kissed the top of his head and Loki smiled, his breath coming back to normal. “I hope this was acceptable for a first time,” Loki whispered and Tony laughed. 

“Oh, hell yes, it was,” Tony said between chuckles and Loki moved himself closer, wrapping one leg around Tony’s middle. “Can I ask why you didn’t want to actually. . . You know.”

Loki tensed at Tony’s words but answered him anyways. “It’s just that. . . It’s a long story, Stark,” Loki said, sounding tired and defeated. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me,” Tony said, sliding his fingers through Loki’s raven hair. 

Loki nodded and didn’t say anything. His eyes started to droop and Tony pulled the blanket up over themselves, falling into a carefree sleep only minutes later. 

~*~

“Viper, there is nothing we can do without him, it’s all on his shoulders,” a HYDRA agent said, sitting in a darkened room next to Madam Hydra, who’s fingering a knife and playing with a bottle of green liquid. 

“Well then get him here,” she hisses, her voice tight with stress. Over the past few days, Viper has had to deal with the most imbecilic of agents, trying to figure out a way to track down Laufeyson. 

“It’s not that easy, ma’am,” the agent says. “Loki is off of our watch. He and Anthony Stark.” 

“Find them!” Viper screams, standing from the chair she was sitting in and throwing the knife into the wall across from her. “How worthless are you?! Find them! Why is he off the grid in the first place!?”

With that the agent leaves, leaving Madam Hydra alone. It’s been a stressful few weeks, and that’s something that she doesn’t get to say often. All the stress of trying to find the God, and the even more stressful task of finding a substitute if Loki doesn’t come to them. She walks over to the wall, grabbing the knife on her way out. Agents are running around, talking animatedly with each other, some going into the room where the metal suit lays. 

She follows some of the men, and goes into the room, looking at the suit laying against the table. Tubes are being fed into it, the green leaking inside of the silver. 

“How are things going along?” She asks one of the main scientists on the project, who is bent over the table and testing the temperature of the liquid. 

“Madam Hydra. . . Nothing is getting through, we need Mister Laufeyson. The suit isn‘t reacting with the material we‘re using on it. Loki is the only one who can find a way to work it,” the scientist, whose name she doesn’t care to know, says. 

“Well apparently you can’t have Loki because we are working with a bunch of morons, so you’re going to need to find a way to do what you were hired to, otherwise we will have ways of getting rid of you,” she hisses, leaning against the table threateningly and forcing the man to catch her gaze. 

“I’m sorry, miss, but it’s impossible. We don’t have the technology,” the scientist stutters and backs away slightly. Pity. Never try to run from the hunter. 

“That is too bad, I liked you more than the others,” Viper hisses, raising her knife to the scientists throat, drawing a single drop of blood. Before she can get it in further, the wall is blown out on her left and men and women dressed in black, holding machine guns, start shuffling inside. 

“Madam Hydra, how unfortunate it is to see you again,” the voice of Nick Fury says from behind the wall of dust. 

“Fury, how the hell did you find us?” Viper hisses, backing away and clutching her knife, poised for the kill. 

“We have our sources, Viper, you surely know that,” Nick says, showing his face through the dust, a small smirk on his lips. 

“That I do, Fury, that I do.” Fury is closing in and she’s quickly running out of room to back away in to. “We have no quarrel with you.”

“Oh I think you do, Viper. You’re a threat to us now, we know what you’re up to, don’t think you’re hiding anything,” Fury said, grabbing his gun and pointing it at Viper’s forehead. 

Viper laughs sickly, manically, throwing her head back against the wall. “You have quite the ego going for you, Nick, sometimes that’s not a good thing.” 

Fury’s one eye gets a slight hint of worry, but then vanishes quickly, his face hard as stone. “We know about your involvement with Loki Laufeyson. We know you want him. Now unless you can concoct some damn good explanation, I’m going to kill you on the spot and shut this organization down.” 

Viper wiped a laughter tear from her eye, smirking at Fury and turning to walk away. “Come with me, Nick. Let me tell you a story.”

~*~

Tony walks up feeling like he could take on the world in this moment. Maybe he can, he’s freaking Iron Man after all. He turns his head and spies the back of Loki’s head, his black hair flaming across the pillows, and his bare back showing. He smiles to himself. The sun is starting to sink deeper into the sky, the blue fading into a purple, small traces of stars etched across the dark canvas. 

He’s thirsty, and hungry, and has to pee, but he’s too in the moment to care. The rest of the team is probably wondering where the two of them when off to, but surely they’ll figure it out eventually and take the hint to leave them alone. They are smart people after all. He closed his eyes and breathed in heavily, moving himself closer to the sleeping deity. He placed a hand on the small of Loki’s back and flinched slightly at how cold he was. If he was a human, it would have been dead cold. His fingers relaxed and he moved the lay his hand flush with Loki’s spine, and the other hand going onto his waist. 

Loki stirred and moaned sleepily, rolling over and staring at Stark with his emerald eyes. “I would say good morning but seeing that the sun is nearly down, I’ll just say hello.” 

Tony’s eyes widened in surprise and he laughed heartily, rubbing his fingers over the dip of Loki’s waist. “Hello, Loki.” 

Loki smiled slightly and placed his hand over Stark’s on his waist. “How’d you sleep?”

“Great, yourself?” Tony asked, leaning in closer so he could feel Loki’s icy breath. 

“Wonderful,” he murmured, putting his forehead against Tony’s and kissing him softly. “I am a bit hungry though,” he whispered against his lips. 

Tony nodded and rolled over, grabbing his pants off the floor and sliding them onto his hips before getting out of bed. “I’ll make us- well, no, Jarvis?”

“Yes, sir?” The AI responded with. 

“Order us a pizza, will you, deary?” Tony asked sweetly, throwing Loki a shirt and some sweat pants from his drawer. 

“Right away, sir. What kind would you like?”

“Hmm. . .” Tony turned to Loki and raised an eye brow questioningly. “What do you want on your pizza?” 

Loki looked confused for a moment, like he didn’t know for sure what Stark was asking from him, and Tony thought that maybe the God didn’t know what pizza was, but then he spoke. “Extra cheese and pepperoni?” 

Tony smiled. “One large, extra cheese, pepperoni pizza, Jarv,” Tony said, and worked his way to the bathroom to empty his aching bladder. 

“It will be here in about five minutes, sir,” Jarvis responded but Tony was already out of the room. Loki look up at the ceiling. He still didn’t know where Jarvis’ voice was coming from. There were no speakers or any holes in the walls that would suggest an automatic voice to come out of. 

Tony reentered the room, his hair a little less shaggy than it had been, and sat down on the side of the bed next to Loki, who was still naked. “Why did you name your computer Jarvis?” Loki asked curiously and Stark made a unsuspecting face at the question.

“Well I, or my father, had a butler named Edwin Jarvis. He was a great guy. After he died I decided to name it after him,” Tony said. 

“Or, rather, he called me, ‘Just A Really Very Intelligent System’,” Jarvis answered and Loki snorted. 

“Your genius is leaking, Tony,” Loki said with a smirk and Tony cackled. 

“That sounded really dirty,” Tony said between laughs. 

“Did it?” Loki asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh yes,” Tony said, leaning over and pushing Loki against the bed, straddling him and kissing him wantonly. Loki has his hand snaking down his pants when the door is hurled open, and the horribly timed Nick Fury enters, his gun aimed at the two men, the rest of the team and a few agents behind him. 

“Loki Laufeyson, you are under arrest!” Fury screams, that big, bad vein in his head popping like crazy. 

Loki laughs, evilly, scary, making Stark push him away. “Has it taken you this long, director?” Loki sneered, venom flooding his voice. 

“Get him, Widow,” Fury directs and Natasha moves forward with cuffs in her left hand a muzzle in her right. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Tony asks desperately, moving off the bed and to Loki’s side. 

“I went to visit the HYDRA hideout today. Turns out that Loki’s been working for them this whole time. They’re putting together a machine that is capable of wiping out the entire planet. Loki’s here because he knows that you, Stark, have materials he needs. He was sent here on a mission to gather data about the team and supplies needed to get the suit up and running. Including the green stuff you saw in the pictures,” Fury explains and Tony feels like he’s just been kicked in the groin. 

He wants to yell and kill things it hurts so badly, but instead he turns on Loki, his eyes sorrowful and scared. Wounded, like he can’t believe that Loki actually did this to him. “Is it true?” 

Loki’s eyes flash sadness for only a second before returning to hard and cold, and demonic. “Of course it’s true. You don’t honestly think that I’d be here if it wasn’t for a purpose do you?”

Tony shakes his head in disbelief. “I thought your purpose was me.”

Loki didn’t hesitate with his response. “Well you thought wrong.”

Natasha threw herself at the man, the muzzle raised and close to being connected to the God’s mouth, but before she could touch him, he disappeared into a cold of green smoke, leaving behind a small snake of green fire in his wake. 

Tony’s knees buckled and he started to collapse but Tasha caught him, lowering him onto the bed. “I’m sorry, Stark,” Fury said, and for once he actually looked sincere. 

“How could he do this to us? How could he do this to me?” Tony muttered, more to himself than to anyone else who was listening. 

In a distant part of his mind he could hear Thor stepping up and sitting next to him on the bed. “I am sorry for what my brother has done,” he said sadly, placing a reassuring hand on Tony’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry I let myself get attached to a monster like that,” Tony whispered, almost too quiet for his own ears. “How long has it been?” 

“Viper said that he was approached by them once there was the disturbance in New Mexico. The one I told you about,” Fury explained. 

“But Loki said he didn’t get here by the New Mexico portal,” Tony said matter-of-factly. He knew it was no use. 

“Loki lied,” Fury spat the word like it was poison on his tongue. Thor’s hand tightened on Tony’s shoulder as Fury said the words. “He’s most likely teleported himself to HYDRA’s place. We’ll have agents searching for him. Once we find him, we’re taking him into custody.” 

Fury left without another word, taking with him the agents he’d brought. 

The rest of the Avengers filtered into the bedroom, sitting next to Tony and offering their apologies but Tony paid them no thought. He was too busy trying to get his head around the fact that everything Loki had said, or done, or been with him, was a lie.


	16. But There's No You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the band aid for all of you who hated the story after the last chapter.

It takes SHIELD three days to track down Viper and Loki, who aren’t hiding nearly as well as they should be. Tony wants to stay back, he doesn’t want to have to see him again, but Fury insists that he come. 

They’re hidden in an underground facility, but no more than ten agents are with them. The rest are with the suit. SHIELD agents blow out the large metal door and run in, grabbing Loki and Viper before they have a chance to react. They cuff them and put muzzles on their mouths, leading them out of the area. Loki passes Tony and stares at him, just stares, and it’s completely devoid of emotion. The gaze seems to last forever but Tony’s sure it’s only a second, before Loki is being loaded into the jet. 

They take them to SHIELD headquarters, where two cells have been placed just for the prisoners. They won’t have any contact with each other, and everyone’s eyes and ears can be on them at all time. Loki just kind of stares at the camera in the room, like he can see out the other side and watch what the others are doing. Viper on the other hand, seems to make good on being in captivity, sitting in a corner with her eyes closed, thinking. 

It’s the fifth day when Tony is asked by Nick Fury to go and try to get information out of them. “Why me?” 

“Because you knew Loki the best,” Fury says.

“I thought I knew Loki the best. Why can’t Thor do it?” Tony hisses. He’s done with Loki. Completely done. He can’t even stand that this happened, and so quickly, after things had gone so well. 

“Loki won’t tell Thor anything that we don’t already know and you know that, Stark,” Fury says, leaning against the table he and Tony are sitting at. “If there’s anyone he might talk to, it’s you.”

Tony sighs angrily. He doesn’t want to go and see Loki. He wants to ignore him until the memories finally go away. But he knows he won’t be able to get away with that. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”

Tony’s lead by two guards, (Which Tony thinks is overkill, I mean come on, he’s in a completely locked cell.) down to Loki’s cell, which is underground by about three floors, and completely dark except for small lights that are placed sporadically in the halls. When they reach the cell, Loki’s sitting on the cot in the middle of it, facing away from the direction that they come from. 

The guards show Tony how to work the speakers, and Tony presses the button, listening to hear the speakers turn on. Tony hesitates, he doesn’t know what to say. What do you say to a person who’s recently ripped your heart out? “Why’d you do it?”

Loki turns and when Tony can see his face, it’s manic, crazed, like he’s been completely taken out of this world. “What has Viper told you?”

“She hasn’t told me anything. She told Fury that you’d been with them since the start. That you were trying to get materials for this metal suit that could destroy the world,” Tony says and he can feel the red hot anger burning up inside of him the more he speaks. 

“Would you like to hear the full story? As to why I did what I had to? Why I agreed to work with them?” Loki taunts.

“Isn’t that what I just asked you?” Tony spat. He used to think Loki was cute when he’d taunt, now it just makes him want to rip him to shreds. 

Loki offers a twisted smirk and dark green dances around his irises. “I can’t tell you.”

Tony clenches his fists, turning his knuckles white, and moves to where the door to the cell is. “Let me in.”

One of the guards goes to him with horror on his face. “I can’t let you go in there.”

“Let me in, I’ll be fine. I’m sure Fury’s got gas or something so that if Loki gets to close it knocks him out. He always does that,” Tony explains. The guard still looks unconvinced, but opens the door hesitantly, locking it behind Tony when he goes in. Tony turns and motions to the guard to turn off the speaker. Maybe if Loki knows that SHIELD isn’t listening he’ll tell. 

“Into the lions den, I see,” Loki murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper, but containing all the punch it’s intended to. Tony looks at Loki, really looks at him, and notices that there are small bruises under his tired eyes, the green not quite as bright as it usually is. 

“Tell me. No one can hear. We’re alone. I just want to know why you did it so I can know if the reason was me,” Tony says, his voice stronger than he’d thought it was. Good. 

Loki analyzes Tony for a moment, looking like he’s trying to decipher him, tell if he’s going to run to Fury right after Loki tells him. But Tony won’t. “They took my magic,” Loki says, his voice tattered and lacking the malice it had moments ago. 

“How could they have taken your magic? You used your magic when you were with me. You used it to get through portals, you-”

“Just let me explain, Stark! Are all mortals this impatient?” Loki hisses, his voice raised and his nails digging into the cot. “They did not take it all, but they took enough. They took it after I transported Thor here. That was the last time I used the portal. I was asleep and when I woke up, it was nearly gone. I only had enough left in me to do little things, like my snake, or the barrier I surrounded us in,” Loki explained. 

“It all started back before I fell from the Bifrost. I went to visit Thor when he was taken into custody by SHIELD. That was when I was power hungry, wanting to rule all of Asgard, wanting my brother dead. I was approached by HYDRA when I was about to take the Bifrost back to Asgard. They said they had a plan to create a machine that was powerful enough to take over the planet. They promised me that if I could get them the materials they needed for it, and if I could help them by using my powers, they’d let me keep Midgard as a prize. As my own.

“I returned to Asgard with the promise that I would help them. I never really intended to, of course. In some far back corner of my mind, I knew that I didn’t want to rule, so I thought that if I could hide in Asgard, destroy Jotunheim, become king, I’d be able to escape them. I never planned on falling back to Earth.

“I fell and I was caught by you. When we went back to your home, I saw all of the materials that HYDRA had said they’d needed. I thought that maybe since I didn’t get what I wanted in Asgard, I could still make good on my deal. So I stayed with you. I stayed and I got attached. I let myself get attached to you. Thor came and found me and took me back to Asgard and I thought that maybe, just maybe, staying in Asgard would solve my problem with you and with HYDRA. 

“But you, damn you, kept crawling back into my thoughts. You kept haunting me and I couldn’t let myself do it any longer. So I came to your little ball, never anticipating that Viper was going to be there. Our events transpired in the elevator and I left again, knowing that once Viper saw me, she’d track me down and capture me, make me live up to the deal. So I fled again. I never planned on coming back. I never wanted to come back, no matter what, because I knew that if I did, I’d be forced to work with them. 

“Viper must have noticed how attached we looked when we were at the ball, that’s why she decided to take you. She knew that I couldn’t leave you with them. She was right. I sent the Destroyer, not noticing at the time that that was exactly the push that HYDRA needed to make the suit complete. It was the prototype, it was what they based their creation on. I saved you, and knowing that you were safe, I let myself try to forget you. That didn’t work either. Nothing ever really works for me in case you weren’t catching onto that.

Tony smiled softly and Loki continued. “I overheard your conversation with Pepper, heard that you were in love with me and I thought that hopefully if I stayed with you, I’d be out of the eyes of HYDRA. You said that you hadn’t told them about the group that took you, and I hated you for it because if you had then they’d be captured and I wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore. I could live in your tower forever. I could hide out with you. Because, as I’m sure you know, your towers security system locks out people trying to spy inside.” Loki raised an eyebrow for Stark to clarify. 

“Yeah. If anyone tries to track who’s inside it doesn’t let them. Jarvis blocks out tracking devices,” Tony confirmed and Loki nodded.

“So I stayed. Then Fury had to intervene and tell us about the disturbance in New Mexico, which I wasn’t actually lying about. The Destroyer got to Midgard through New Mexico and then transported itself to HYDRA’s hideout. And then Pepper had to come along with the pictures and it proved right my suspicions that they were indeed creating this monster and they still needed me and were trying with everything they had to find me. 

“The Avengers were beginning to be assembled when my powers were taken. Somehow, and I still haven’t figured out how, my powers were taken from me in my sleep. I woke up and I felt empty, broken, like I had lost every part of me. That’s when I knew that I had to work with them to get my magic back. If I gave them what they wanted, they’d give me back what I wanted. I knew they’d find me in a matter of time so I didn’t bother contacting them. 

“Fury did my job for me, got HYDRA’s attention, got me back together with them. And now I sit here, a prisoner, all because I made a stupid deal a long time ago,” Loki finished, his face becoming more and more beaten every second, like it was really taking it out of him to retell the tale. 

Tony was silent, frozen in shock, so this had been the elaborate plan of HYDRA since before the beginning. This was in place before Tony even came into the picture. Loki wasn’t truly evil, he was in hiding, trying to escape doing more evil. “But you, the other day you were acting like this was all how you wanted it to go.”

“I’m the God of Lies, Anthony, don’t ever forget that,” Loki said. 

“How do I know you’re not lying to me now?” Tony asked quietly.

“Because I’m not,” Loki said, his voice strong and Tony believed him. Stupid Tony stupidly believed him. “I love you, Tony. I never wanted any of this to happen. I just wanted to live with you forever, hidden from them, but then they took my magic and I can’t live without that, Stark. That means more to me than anything else I have.”

“So, let’s just get this straight. You’re not evilly masterminding behind all of our backs, you’re just trying to get your powers back? And the only way for you to do that is to work with HYDRA to destroy the world?” Tony asked. Loki nodded. “Shit. . .”

Loki smiled softly. “And I bet all this time you thought it was about you.”

Tony coughed in response, not sure if it was a laugh or a sob or what. Loki was still his, Loki was never not his. “So what are you going to do?”

Loki sighed. “I do not know. I don’t want to work with them, but it seems like I have to.”

Tony was quiet, trying to think of ways that they could get around this. They needed to make it seem like Loki was working with HYDRA, but actually not be. . .? Right? 

“Can I tell anyone else this?” Tony asked cautiously. 

“If they promise to help me, then you may. But I highly doubt your director will trust me,” Loki said. 

“I doesn’t matter if he does. I just need my team to trust you. Thor already does, I’m sure I can get Bruce on board,” Tony rambled. “Sorry,” he said once he noticed he was talking way too much. 

“I’m so sorry, Tony,” Loki whispered after a moment of silence.

“I know,” Tony responded with. He wasn’t going to forgive the God just yet. “Thank you for telling me. I’m going to do everything I can to help you.”

“Thank you, Tony,” Loki whispered. “I love you.”

Tony hesitated for a moment. This was still a lot to get used to. It was still going to take time. “I love you, too, Loki.”

Without another word, Tony left the room, locking the door behind him and ignoring the guards. He needed to have some words with the rest of the Avengers. 


	17. All My Friends Tell Me I Should Move On

“Tony you have to fight him. What if he’s just lying again? What if he’s tricking you again?” Steve asked, placing a reassuring hand on Tony’s shoulder after Tony had told the team and Fury, Loki’s plan.

“Yeah, but what if he isn’t, Cap? What if this really has been what’s been going on this whole time? What if Loki’s warning us about a war that could be right around the corner?” Tony said desperately. He still didn’t one hundred percent believe Loki, not entirely, but he was still willing to hope that the God was telling the truth.

“Stark, you can’t just go around trusting him just because you love him,” Fury broke in. Tony turned on him, his eyes piercing the directors one.

“I know it sounds stupid, okay? I know this sounds fast and irrational, but what if it’s the truth? What if tomorrow HYDRA is on our doorstep starting a war and we aren’t prepared because we didn’t take the chance of trusting him?” Tony said, moving his shoulder out of Steve’s grasp. “Ask Thor. Loki wasn’t always bad, right?”

Thor looked surprised that the conversation had quickly turned to him and straightened up slightly in the chair he’d been sitting in. “No, Man of Iron. My brother did not always hold such hatred towards myself and my family. He was not always evil. He was a trickster, but never had he caused mayhem.”

“See!” Tony said, pointing a finger at Thor and turning his attention back to Fury, waiting to catch any and all reactions.

“I don’t like this, Stark,” Fury said.

“You brought him into custody without even waiting to hear his story, Nick. What about if this was all just an innocent person caught in the cross fire?” Tony said again. If Tony Stark was anything, he was damn well stubborn.

“I think you should listen to him, director,” Natasha surprised everyone by saying. Tony cocked an eyebrow at her. “Okay, I know that we can’t trust Loki completely, but Tony does have a point. Loki’s story makes a lot of sense and if this is just a misunderstanding, then we need to be focused on bringing down HYDRA instead of sitting here fighting.”

“I could kiss you-” Tony said but Natasha raised a finger to silence him.

“Touch me and I will rip you in half,” Natasha said and Tony backed off.

The one eyed man raised his hand to his chin and rested his head, his one eye focused on nothing in particular. Deep in concentration. “So say that I give Laufeyson a chance to redeem himself and it turns out he’s playing us all. Then what?”

Tony didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to fathom if Loki was actually playing each and every one of them, and most of all him. But he didn’t believe he was. He didn’t believe that Loki, who had let himself fall for Tony, would really betray them like this. “Then you can blame me. I’ll take all the heat.”

“Tony you can’t be serious,” Steve said.

“I trust him! I trust that he’s telling us the story! I trust that he’s telling us the truth and that he hopes we can help him and save us all! If you could have seen him when he was telling me. . . He’s not evil. Mischievous, yeah, maybe slightly crazed, sure, but he’s not evil. He’s not trying to take over the world like HYDRA is. Now I want to give him a chance, because the Loki I’ve grown to know and love, wouldn’t do this to us. I understand that you were just doing what seemed best at the time by putting him into custody, Nick, but I think that was the wrong move. We should have asked him before we treated him like a prisoner. So I’m willing to place my life on bet that he’s trying to help us,” Tony said.

Fury just stared. Stared into Tony with that one brown eye so harshly that Tony thought he’d catch on fire due to the gaze. The room seemed to freeze in time and every member of the team was silent, waiting. “You will be held accountable if this ends badly, Stark.”

Tony nodded. “Okay,” he said, confirming it to himself and the others.

“I’m going to go and talk to him,” Nick said, going to leave the room.

Everyone was silent. Possibly Steve was contemplating whether to deem Tony mentally insane or a genius, Thor trying to decide if he wanted to hug Tony or not, for basically redeeming his younger brother.

“Well, that went well,” Clint said, the one who’d said nothing the entire meeting. Tony snorted.

“Do you guys really believe me?” Tony asked. Natasha nodded and Thor smiled brightly, but Steve still looked hesitant.

“I believe you, my friend,” Thor said. “I believe that my brother is innocent. He is capable of mischief, but not of this scale.”

“Yeah I believe you, too. I think Fury was insane for taking him in so quickly,” Natasha said. Bruce nodded.

“We need to give him a chance. Because other than when he tried to strangle you, he seemed like he actually wanted to be with us. He wanted to belong,” Bruce said quietly. Tony had truthfully almost forgotten he’d been here.

Steve grimaced. “I hope we don’t regret this, Tony,” he said before making a dramatic exit.

“I hope so, too, Steve,” Tony said, even though the man was now gone.

~*~

Fury made his way down to the holding cell that he’d ordered Loki to be kept in, holding a flashlight to make his way through the darker portions of the hallways. The God was standing near the side of the cell, looking around, and playing with loose strands of string on his leathers.

“Stark made quite a defense for you, Loki,” Fury said, watching the small smile crawl its way onto Loki’s lips at the name.

“You do not believe him, though,” Loki said, turning to sit on the cot in the middle of the cell, folding his hands in his lap and looking at Fury. “You still believe me a villain.”

“I do. But I am willing to give you a chance, so you better not blow it,” Fury said, pulling up a random chair that had been placed around the perimeter of the cell.

“I appreciate your opportunity,” Loki said. “Not many would be kind enough to trust what the God of Lies tells them.”

“Yeah, about that,” Fury started. “Stark’s putting himself on the line for you, here. He’s willing to face the consequences himself if this is all just a game of yours. And if you care about him at all, you’ll be telling the truth.”

Loki’s face blanked, his eyes widening only slightly. “I’m not lying.”

“Good. Now I’m going to go and talk to Viper. See what her side of the story is,” Fury said, standing from the chair and backing it against the wall. He turned to leave as Loki spoke again.

“Watch your words, director, Viper can manipulate almost as well as I can,” Loki said to Fury’s back. The director paused but then carried on, walking around the bend in the underground prison to the cell that held Madam Hydra.

Viper was sitting on the ground in front of her cot, her eyes closed and her fingers pressed against her temples. The side of her mouth twitched slightly when Fury got close enough, but there was no way she could have heard him coming. “Director,” she whispered.

“We know what you’re doing, Viper. We know about the story with Loki. We know that you’re still trying to get him to give you his power to work your robot. We know that you stole his magic,” Fury said, crossing his arms behind his back and standing menacingly in front of the glass cell.

Viper’s face broke into an evil grin and she cackled, her head thrown back against the side of the cot. “How is Loki without his magic?”

“Shut up, Viper. I’m not here to negotiate with you. I’m here to tell you that if you even try to set this machine on the world, if you even attempt to raise a finger into this crazy ass plan of yours, I’ve got my ammo and I’m not afraid to take you apart,” Nick said.

Viper cocked an eyebrow. “You honestly believe Loki? You honestly believe he’ll help you over getting his magic back? Highly unlikely. But, I will not change your mind. Do as you wish, director, but know this, when our plan comes into action, you will have nothing to stop us,” she hissed, dropping her hands into her lap. “Prepare yourselves well, Mister Fury.”

Nick snorted. “Tell me, Viper, how exactly are you planning to pull off this little stunt?”

“Well, now a magician never gives away her secrets, does she?” Viper said with a twisted smirk.

“I suppose I’ll have to wait and catch the show then,” Fury said, turning to go.

“Yes, you will,” Viper said, but Fury was already gone.

~*~

“What if you’re risking us all, Tony? How can you be letting each and every one of us into a line of fire because of this?” Steve said after Tony had tracked him down and tried to talk him into believing him.

“Steve, just calm down and listen to me,” Tony said, lowering himself onto the sofa and pointing at the spot next to him for Steve to sit. “I know this is hard for you to believe, I know that, but you’ve gotta trust me. You don’t know Loki like I know Loki. You don’t know Loki like Thor knows Loki. You don’t know that he’s seriously just the most misunderstood bastard to ever live. He doesn’t want to fight us, he just wants to be accepted for who he is and what he stands for. When he agreed to work with HYDRA he was manic. He wanted revenge, he wanted to be treated as an equal to Thor. He was blinded by that hope that people would someday see him as an equal. But once he got over his little crazy ride, he didn’t want to fight anymore. He was with me, he was learning what it was like to be accepted. I don’t mean to brag, but I kinda made him realize he didn’t need to be looked at as an equal to Thor, because he was pretty damn amazing as he is.” Tony stopped to smile lightly to himself at the thoughts of when Loki had first arrived.

“Think of it this way. How would you feel if something was taken from you? Something that you held so closely that it would make you. . . Incomplete without it. Loki lost that. He just wants what’s his back. He just wants to make himself whole again,” Tony finished, looking at Steve and hoping for any sign of acceptance.

“Don’t ask me how it would feel. I know exactly how it feels. I know how broken you become when that thing is taken from you, got it, Stark? But no matter how depressed or lonely I became without it, I’d never make a deal with HYDRA to try to get it back,” Steve said.

“Wouldn’t you?” Tony asked.

Steve closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his hands, breathing in heavily through his nose. “Fine. Maybe I would. Maybe I’d make a deal with them if I knew I could have her back.”

Tony scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. Her? “Who’s her?”

Steve smiled into his wrists. “Peggy Carter. She was, still is, my one true love. When I was taken into the ice, I lost her. I would have helped HYDRA, if they’d given me her back.”

Tony laid a reassuring hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Steve lifted his head and smiled weakly. “I know.” Steve’s eyes narrowed slightly and he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you actually have convinced me. Fine, I trust you. I’m willing to work with Loki.”

Tony smiled. “Thank you, Steve.”

Cap nodded. “Now, let’s get ready. When HYDRA strikes, we’re gonna take them down.”

~*~

“Turn it on,” one of the HYDRA agents commanded. There were only a few of them left, but it was enough. One of the scientists turned to the green tubes, which they’d found a way to transfer Loki’s magic into, and turned the switch, boiling the green liquid.

The suit started to glow slightly, the silver melting with green. There was a spark and the liquid was drained inside.

It’s eyes opened. Green boiling inside of the silver helmet. “She’s ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end now, only maybe three chapters left. :) Thanks to all who have left kudos, commented, bookmarked, and spent the time to read this, it means a lot :)


	18. Telling Me I'm Fine

Tony’s sitting in the cell next to Loki, playing with a deck of cards Tony had brought in with him, when the announcement sounds.

_“Downtown New York has become a battle ground, as a mysterious metal figure is terrorizing the city. Bystanders say that they saw the armor suit come from no where and it seems to be incredibly powerful, blowing out buildings and-”_

“Stark! Get Loki and get up here now!” Fury screamed through the speakers, cutting off the news report woman. Tony threw his hand of cards down onto the cot and stood, running towards the door with Loki quick on his tail. There was a small explosion from outside of the building they were in, and the lights flickered cautiously.

“Come on we have to hurry,” Tony said, leading Loki up through the corridors to the building above ground, where SHIELD agents were running with guns, trying to get calls into the police, and preparing to take out a jet to the battle area.

Another explosion sounded and some of the lights went out, including some of the phone calls the agents had been making. “Stark!” A voice called and Tony and Loki turned to see Steve running towards them in his Captain America suit.

“Steve what happened?” Tony asked, having to raise his voice over the increasing sound of explosions.

“We don’t know, HYDRA just came out of no where! They have the suit, some how they figured out how to power it. They’ve got agents everywhere taking hostages and blowing everything up in their way,” Steve said. Natasha and Clint showed up, both with their weapons ready.

“We have to get out there, they’re destroying everything,” Tasha said, loading one of her guns.

“You guys get out there. We’ll be there as soon as we can, just try to stop a few of them at least,” Steve said and the assassins nodded, turning to leave as another explosion sounded, this time blowing out part of the building. The power went out and it was completely dark in the building. Agents followed Widow and Hawk out of the building, their guns raised and aimed at the agents trying to shuffle inside. Tony turned to his left and saw Loki, holding a scepter and adorned with golden horns and green armor.

“Get your suit on, Stark,” Loki hissed, running down towards the cells. Tony obeyed, running blindly through the crowd of agents and passing Thor on the way to his suit. He got out his Stark Phone, clicking the activation button and watching as the suit appeared in front of him and started to collect itself onto him. He turned on his repulsors, flying slowly down to the cell block where Loki had gone to. When he got there, the cell door was opening, Loki standing in front of it with his scepter raised.

“Oh, Loki,” Viper said, weaving her hands together. “I have your magic now, I do not need to exit that way.” She spread her arms in front of her as Loki fired a blast of energy from his scepter, but Viper was faster, vanishing and causing the blue energy to ricochet off the walls of the cell.

Loki hissed, turning to see Stark standing behind him. “She’s going to the site. We have to get there quickly. If she has the ability to control my magic then there is nothing she can’t do.”

Tony nodded, turning to go back up the stairs. Loki followed behind him, filtering into the mass of agents still scrambling to get the power back on. They found Thor and Cap, getting ready to get into one of jets. “Where’s Banner?” Tony asked once they got to them.

“He’s with Widow and Hawk. They’re trying to take down the suit but nothing is working. The thing is solid magic and metal,” Cap said, getting into the jet as the doors opened.

“Loki, do you have any idea how to stop it?” Thor asked once they were all inside. The jet started to move, flying out of headquarters and going to the battle scene.

“Thor, you know the Destroyer cannot be defeated. And if they have my magic inside of it as well. . . There is hardly a chance,” Loki said. Thor nodded seriously, staring into the wall opposite him.

The rest of the ride was quiet, until the landing portion, which did not go as smoothly as hoped. One of the engines was struck, causing the jet to spin and crash to the ground. Once it was on the ground, another blast hit, blowing in the side of the jet and causing a piece of debris to strike Steve on the shoulder, making blood course down his suit. Iron Man, Thor, and Loki made their way out of the jet, Thor hitting agents left and right with Mjolnir. The entire downtown area of New York was being broken apart. Buildings were on fire and agents with guns were everywhere. Tony hadn’t noticed there were that many of them at the ready. The sky was darkened by the smoke billowing from buildings, and debris rained down upon the dusted streets. Tony blast down agents with his repulsors, searching for the suit.

Loki found it first, running towards it and spraying it with blue energy. The sea of blue flooded inside of the suit, but it didn’t hurt it. It made it stronger. The suit curved in on itself, gathering up a small ball of blue light, before flinging its arms out and shooting the ball of light back at Loki, who barely dodged it.

Tony heard the roar of the Hulk, and saw him behind the suit, sprinting towards it with its fist raised. The suit turned when the Hulk was about to bring its fist down onto it, and enveloped itself in a green bubble, similar to the one Loki had trapped himself and Stark in only days ago. The Hulks fist sat in place, straining against the green bubble to get to the suit. Hulk roared and tried with his other arm, punching the side of the orb, but it was no use. The suit used one of its arms to summon a small ball of green light, and once the orb vanished, hurled it at the Hulk, throwing the behemoth into one of the nearby buildings.

Tony noticed Hawkeye and Widow on the rooftops, shooting down agents that were trying to attack the remaining Avengers on the ground. Hawk sent an arrow straight towards the suits eye, but it just slid right through. “We need a plan, we can’t just keep doing this,” Tony said into the com.

“Oh you think so?” Natasha spat, and Tony heard the sound of a kill along with her words. “How are we gonna do this?”

Steve bounded into the area where Loki, Tony, and Thor were, holding his shoulder slightly. “Loki, do you know any tricks to get around your magic? Anything that could help us?”

Loki was silent, his now much darker green eyes watching the suit. Agents ran forward and Thor struck them with lightening. “I do not know. I do not have enough magic left in me to do any damage. Viper has-” Loki stopped himself on the name, hissing under his breath. “We need to kill her.”

“What?” Tony asked, killing another agent.

“We need to kill Viper. If she has control of my magic and the suit, then she is the one we must kill. Not the armor,” Loki said, his tone grim.

“Brother, doesn’t that mean-” Thor started but Loki raised a finger to silence him.

“If it must be done,” Loki said sadly.

“Wait, what happens if we kill her?” Tony asked, stepping closer to Loki and placing a gentle hand on his arm.

“If we kill her, my magic dies with her,” Loki said, his eyes brimming slightly with tears.

“No come on, there has to be another way. I’m not going to let you loose it,” Tony said.

“It does not matter now, Anthony. If it promises an end to this, then I will loose it,” Loki said, watching as Thor hit one of the buildings with lightening, electrocuting the agents inside.

“Are you sure?” Tony asked quietly. He didn’t want Loki to loose his magic. Loki and his magic were one. They couldn’t be apart.

“Yes, Stark. Now stop asking me questions and find her. I should be able to hold off suit from causing too much destruction. With your help of course, Captain,” Loki said, turning to Cap and offering a small smile. Steve nodded in agreement.

“We’ll stall it. Go find Viper and kill her, Tony,” Steve said. Tony didn’t need to be told again. He powered his repulsors and flew towards the building that Hawk and Widow were currently in, passing the Hulk who was now fighting again.

“Widow, Hawk, if you see any signs of Viper, tell me. If you see her and you have a chance to kill her, take it,” Tony instructed.

“What’s going on?” Clint asked, shooting an agent in the eye and watching as smaller arrows shot out of the mother one, hitting other agents running towards them.

“Viper is the one in control of the suit. Kill her, it kills the armor,” Tony said.

“We got it, Stark,” Tasha said, hitting two agents with the Widow’s Bite.

Tony flew away from them, heading towards Stark Tower. Might as well start there. He flew around the landing area on top, circling it and looking for any traces of that stupid Madam Hydra. There were none. Where could she be hiding?

Tony looked over the side of the building to watch Loki and Steve attacking the suit of armor, Loki in his Jotun form, firing ice at the suit, but melting as soon as it reached the silver surface. Steve threw his shield at the thing multiple times, but it didn’t even make a dent. Thor and Hulk were working together to take down the little agents that remained, Thor sending lightening down onto them, Hulk just smashing the shit out of everything.

Another jet arrived at the scene and Nick Fury exited it, his gun raised. “Stark, do you copy?” He called into the com. Tony saw him look up to where he was suspended in midair. “You guys have a plan?”

“Kill Viper,” Tony said and saw Fury nod.

“Sounds like a plan,” the one eyed man said, and went to join Loki and Steve in their quest to hold off the armor. Tony turned around, back to facing Stark Tower, and there she was. Standing their like a Medusa creature, green magic emitting itself from her body like flames fleeing from her.

“Are you really going to kill me, Mister Stark,” she seethed, her words like poison.

“Damn right I am,” Tony said, aiming at her with his gauntlet and firing a blast her way, which was deflected easily by her magic.

“Good luck with that,” she hissed, forming a ball of energy in between her hands and flinging it at Stark. Tony dodged it and flew in to land next to her, sending a punch right to the side of her face. She couldn’t win in a physical fight. He punched her in the gut, throwing her against the ground, she smiled and laughed up at him, pinching her fingers together in front of her. “Hold your breath, dear.”

She moved her fingers closer together and Tony felt the pressure overcome his airwaves. He gasped and grasped at his neck, trying to get air back into his lungs. Viper laughed, raising her other hand to lift Tony off the ground and hang him above the edge. “Goodbye, Mister Stark,” she whispered, and her tone was almost sensual.

She released her pinching grip and Stark gulped in a huge breath, only to be dropped down the side of the building.

~*~

Loki was trying to freeze the armor, but it was no use. The armor was too hot and the ice would just melt when it hit it. Everything was exploding around him, not many agents remained, but the ones that did packed a punch. Thor and the Hulk were now trying to help himself and the Captain against it, but it was no use.

“Come on, Stark, kill her already,” he muttered under his breath, changing back to his Aesir form just in time to see Tony being hurled from the side of Stark Tower. His brain froze and he ran, ran faster than he ever had. He didn’t have much magic but hoped it’d be enough to catch him. “Don’t be dead, Anthony, don’t be dead. . .”

He came to the spot right underneath Tony and called every ounce of his magic to him, praying it’d be enough. The green shield formed above his head, and he held it there, waiting for Tony to fall onto it. The red suit fell, right onto the shield and Loki stumbled at the weight, but held it there, before causing it to disappear and drop Tony the remaining few feet.

“Tony!” Loki screamed and kneeled next to him, ripping the helmet off of him and throwing it to the side, leaning in close to listen for a pulse. There was none. “Tony, damnit you cannot die!” He screamed and slapped the man in the face. He was sleeping. That was it. He wasn’t gone. He couldn’t be.

Loki heard footsteps behind him and felt Thor’s hand on his shoulder but he didn’t stop. He shook the man laying in the iron suit, smacked him, pinched his cheeks, anything and everything he could think of.

“Loki. . .” Thor whispered and Loki’s tears flooded down his cheeks. He bit his lips and closed his eyes tightly, leaned his head down against the side of Tony’s suit. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to kill her,” he hissed, lifting his head and standing next to the now corpse. “Get me up there,” he told Thor and the man nodded, holding onto Loki’s waist and flying onto the top of the tower. Loki found Viper, the green dancing across her black cat suit.

“Aw, Loki, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to kill your boyfriend,” she said like a school girl and Loki bared his teeth.

Loki didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response. He stalked towards her, his hands raised and using the little magic that remained, cast a barrier in front of him. Viper laughed and raised her hand to fling Loki aside, but nothing happened. Viper stopped laughing almost instantaneously, and looked down at her hands in confusion. Loki did the same. He hadn’t expected the magic not to work against him.

He recalled something Amora had told him once when they were young and learning together. “Ones magic cannot be used against oneself, no matter who possesses it.”

Loki smiled and took one of the knives out of his pockets, holding the back of Vipers head and pulling it back, opening her neck with the blade and dropping her to the floor as blood sprayed across her body. Loki screamed at the pain of loosing his magic. All of it left him in that instant that Viper died. He collapsed onto the ground beside her, clutching at his chest and breathing heavily.

“Brother, are you alright?” Thor said, running to his brothers side.

“It’s gone,” he whispered. “It’s gone.”

“I’m sorry, Loki,” Thor said and knelt beside his brother, encasing him in a hug and letting the slimmer cry onto his shoulder.

“I lost the two most important things in my life today,” Loki sobbed, gripping onto Thor’s back harshly for support.

“We will get him back, Loki. Some how,” Thor whispered. “We will get your magic back, too.”

“How do you expect to do that?” Loki said, moving out of his brothers arms. His eyes were now as black as night, void of the green that used to enhance them.

“I will go to the Allfather. I will tell him what has happened. I cannot let myself see you this broken, brother,” Thor said.

Loki nodded softly, but knew that it was no use. The Allfather would not grant him his magic back, and reincarnate Tony. Loki held onto Thor as they went back down to the rest of the team, now including Natasha, Clint, and Nick Fury. They were all standing around Tony so that Loki couldn’t see him. Nick knelt next to Tony’s lifeless body, summoning a small shot containing liquid Loki couldn’t identify. Fury pushed Stark’s head to the side, exposing his bare neck and stabbing the needle into the flesh there. All was silent, waiting, watching, hoping. Loki hadn’t noticed he’d been holding his breath until the mortal’s eyes flew open.

“God, who has been hitting me in the face?” Tony asked quietly, rubbing the side of his face gently with the back of his armored hand. Loki froze, not anticipating ever having the opportunity to hear that voice again. Fury looked up at Loki and smiled lightly, moving back from Tony so that Loki could see his face. A bruise was blossoming under his left eye and he made a note to apologize for that later.

“Hey,” Tony whispered, a smile spreading across his lips and his eyes met Loki’s. Loki saw his expression damper at the color change but didn’t care.

Loki smiled widely, sitting on the ground beside Tony and hugging him, hugging him and kissing him and making sure that he was really there. He was actually here.

“Is it gone?” Tony asked. Loki nodded, not able to speak quite yet. “I’m sorry, love.”

Loki pulled back, looking at Tony with now dead eyes. “It doesn’t matter. As long as I have you. Nothing else matters.”

Tony smiled a moved a small curly part of Loki’s hair away from his face before kissing him. The kiss was chaste, but perfect and Loki melted against Tony, wrapping his arms around his back.

“Get a room!” Clint said and Tony snorted against Loki’s lips before flashing Clint his metal middle finger.

“We’ve gotta work cleanup,” Fury said. “We’re gonna drown the suit. Make sure no one can get their hands on it.”

Loki nodded and released his lips from Tony’s. “My brother and I will return to Asgard to make a claim to get my magic back.”

“Do you think he will?” Tony asked.

Loki shrugged. “It is unlikely, but anything is possible.” Loki turned to look at Fury. “What did you use to revive him?”

“It’s a project we’ve been working on for a while, with the help of Doctor Banner. This was the prototype, I really didn’t think it was gonna work,” Fury said.

“Well, I for one am glad it did. I’m too young to die,” Tony said and Loki snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, Stark,” Fury said dismissively, turning to where another jet arrived with SHIELD agents working the cleanup. “I’ve gotta go get a press conference ready, good job, team.”

Captain nodded patriotically and Thor bowed slightly. Tony put his finger to Loki’s chin and turned his face to look at him. “Can I come to Asgard with you?”

Loki smiled weakly. “Fine. If I’m able to bring you, I will.”

“Really? Awesome! I can’t believe I’m going to another realm,” Tony said, sounding much like a fifth grader getting to meet their idol.

“If I’m able, Anthony,” Loki scolded, sounding much like fifth grader’s parent.

“Fine, but I’m taking that as a maybe,” Tony said, and Loki helped him get onto his feet, stumbling towards the jet and sitting him in one of the seats.

“It’s a maybe,” Loki said with a smile, before the jet took off and they were heading to Stark Tower.

 


	19. In My Dreams Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, it's been a pretty eventful week. :)

“Joyous news, friends, I have contacted my father and arranged to bring Loki home to plead for his magic,” Thor boomed one morning when the feel around the Avengers home was still too sleep filled to be intruded by Thor’s voice. Loki’s sitting on the arm of Tony’s chair nibbling away at an English muffin and supporting a coffee mug on his knee. Tony’s drinking coffee and talking quietly with Bruce about thermonuclear astrophysics, while Bruce is multitasking the newspaper. Natasha and Clint are whispering mischievously at the kitchen table, and Thor claps a hand on Barton’s shoulder as he speaks. 

“There will be no ‘pleading’, Thor,” Loki said, sipping at his coffee. “I will simply say that in my attempt to protect the human race I lost my magical abilities. Even the Allfather must be able to find sense in that.”

“Indeed I hope he does, brother. You are not the same without your magic. It’s like parts of you are missing,” Thor said, quieter than before, and sat down next to Tasha, grabbing a bagel from the table. 

“So are you allowed to bring guests?” Natasha asked curiously and Thor nodded brightly. 

“I do believe so, yes. The Allfather and my mother will be happy to meet the protectors of Midgard,” Thor said. 

“Right,” Natasha said absently, standing to refill her mug. 

Tony turned in his chair to look at Loki, who raised an eyebrow in question. “You want to come, don’t you?” Loki asked with a smirk. 

Tony nodded enthusiastically like a child going to an amusement park and Loki snorted. “Yes, I do. And you agreed that I could if you were allowed to, so I’m going.” 

“I said maybe,” Loki said into his cup. 

“I count maybes as yeses,” Tony said, turning back to Bruce, who offered a shy smile. “Maybe Asgard has some sort of energy source that we’d be able to tap into?” 

“Oh I’m sure,” Loki scoffed from behind Tony, who just waved a hand back at him. 

“I’m eager to go. I think it could be interesting to see how things function there,” Bruce piped up with a small smile, before folding up the paper and setting it on the small table behind him. 

“You mortals truly believe Asgard to be exciting don’t you?” Loki asked, watching as Tony stood to refill his coffee as well. 

“Yes honey, us, as you so sweetly put it, ‘mortals’ do think it’s interesting to see a whole different realm. Just because you’re like a thousand years old and have been to every inch of the cosmos doesn’t mean everyone has,” Tony said. 

“Fair enough,” Loki said, finishing the last bite of muffin in his fingers. 

~*~

Three hours later (And a plane ride to New Mexico.) and you’ve got two Norse Gods who stand up to the name in their full out battle armor, Loki adorned in green and silver, Thor in gold and red. You’ve also got two assassins who look preoccupied and not at all pleased to have to be transported by what Thor calls the ‘Rainbow Bridge’, a scientist who looks like any person you could pick off the street, a billionaire who doesn’t look much better, and a big, buff, blonde Steven Rogers. 

It’s quite the bunch if you think about it. 

Thor explains that the work on the Bifrost is complete and they are able to arrive in Asgard the traditional way, instead of the extremely illegal way Loki and Thor had been. 

They stand together in the circle of strangely marked ground in the desert and listen for the sound of the Bifrost encasing down on them, hurling them into the air quickly and making Tony more than slightly light headed. Asgard is. . . Breathtaking to be quite frank. Tony can only see it slightly around his blurred vision and the hole in the Bifrost dome. Heimdall, the gatekeeper, stands at the entrance, his golden sword lowered in front of him and his amber gaze watching over all of Asgard. Thor greets him as they pass and leads them to the horses that are waiting. Loki looks at one of the horses sadly and Tony notices the extra legs on it. His son, now a servant for Odin. Tony needed to remember to do something about that. 

They mount them and head forward on the new and improved Bifrost, Loki and Thor leading the way, Tony taking up the rear mostly because he doesn’t know how the hell you ride a horse. 

Eventually they get there in tact, Natasha grumbling about how uncomfortable it is to ride a horse, and Steve ‘Ooohing’ and ‘Ahhhing’ at everything in sight, including Loki at one point where he thought he was an incredibly intricate statue of the “late” Prince of Asgard. 

Loki and Thor lead them into the huge castle in the middle of Asgard, surrounded by guards, until they reach the Warriors Three and Sif, who are waiting for them at the gates. 

“We didn’t know you were bringing friends, Odinson,” Sif said and walked forward, all statuesque and goddess-like in her silver and red armor and long, flowing, midnight black hair. 

“They insisted they come,” Loki answered for his brother, stepping forward to meet Sif as she came to face them. “How have you been, Lady Sif?”

“I am great, Loki, how are you?” Sif said and winked, for which Loki hissed under his breath. 

“You know how I’ve been, Sif,” Loki growled and Sif’s smirk enlarged. 

“Oh, I do, Thor has informed us. I am sorry, Loki, I do not mean disrespect,” Sif said and her smile became apologetic and Loki visually relaxed. 

“I understand, Sif,” Loki said with a curt nod and Thor smiled. 

“Introductions are in order here, so come forward Avengers of Midgard, and Warriors Three of Asgard,” Thor said, opening his arms as if to hug the group and summoning them forward. “First off we have Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun, all very highly trained warriors of Asgard, and of course the Lady Sif.” Thor pointed to each of the members while introducing them and Volstagg gave a jolly smile, Hogun raised a hand in what couldn’t even be considered a wave, and Fandral winked at Natasha. “Now from Midgard, we have Steven Rogers, Anthony Stark, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, and Bruce Banner.” The Avengers waved shyly and smiled politely. 

If this wasn’t awkward, Tony didn’t know what was.

“So, would you like to see Odin?” Sif broke the silence and Loki nodded encouragingly. “Come on then,” Sif said and turned to leave, Loki following closely behind. The rest of the group followed and Tony heard from behind the sound of Fandral flirting and Clint going all protective over Natasha. 

Tony made his way up the group to Loki’s side and took his hand, making the taller flinch slightly at the contact. “So what are you going to say?”

“I’m going to explain everything. The Allfather is used to giving mercy, he will understand,” Loki said without looking at the shorter of the two. 

“Will he? I mean Odin sounds like a pretty drastic kind of-”

“Yes, Odin will see. He must,” Loki interrupted and Tony felt the tightness in Loki’s fingers. He wasn’t truly in his words. He didn’t truly believe that Odin would restore his powers to him. Tony couldn’t blame him for being nervous. 

They made their way up flights of golden stairs and passed many guards in fifty pound armored suits. Finally they found the entrance to Odin’s throne room, where two guards stood. Sif, Loki, and Thor all nodded to them and the guards moved aside, opening the large gold doors. 

Inside it was huge, and empty, which made it look even bigger, and in the middle, above a delta of stairs, sat Odin with Frigga by his side. The first glance at Odin was intense, it was like looking at the God of Gods and seeing everything you’ve never seen before, but on closer inspection Tony saw that there really was nothing overly special about the Allfather. Just an old man covered in gold with an eye patch. 

Frigga on the other hand was something Tony couldn’t ever get used to. She was beautiful, like a mix of Sif and Natasha and then add about ten times more natural beauty. Her eyes seemed to glow against her slightly tanned skin, and the top of her head was flowing with waves of blonde curls. She wore a golden (Big surprise) dress that was loosing fitting and hung low on her arms. She smiled warmly at the guests and looked pleased to be seeing her sons again. Plural, because Tony doesn’t believe that Frigga considers Loki anything but her son. Unlike another parental figure.

“Come in,” Odin said, his voice strong and matured, fit for a king. The group, more like an awkward huddle squad moved forward choppily, standing at the base of the stairs. “Welcome to Asgard, defenders of Midgard.”

The Avengers, all but Steve, nodded politely, but the soldier bowed and made all soldier like in the presence of the royal court. “Now, Loki, you have returned for a purpose.”

Loki scoffed slightly, nudging forward, out of Tony’s hand. “That’s all I get? You believed I to be dead and all I get as a reunion is my purpose? You don’t even have the care in you to be decent for what I’ve come here for, you just want me gone again.” 

Tony moved forward quickly and grabbed Loki’s shoulder, pulling him back slightly. It’s no good to get the guy who you’re trying to get to help you pissed off. “Loki, it’s okay,” he whispered. 

“No, it’s not okay, Anthony. I just risked my life to protect Midgard and it’s people, to redeem myself for the evil acts I have done, and I still don’t measure up. I guess I never will,” Loki said, piercing Odin’s one eye with his now dead green ones. “I’d like my magic back.”

“What make you worthy of deeming your powers back, Loki?” Odin asked, completely unfazed at the reaction Loki had had. 

Now Tony was pissed. 

“Um, excuse me a moment, but you’re being a jackass,” Tony said, stepping forward to stand at Loki’s side and tightening his grip on his hand. “Or is that naughty for me to call you that?”

“You do not speak to a king in that way, Mister Stark and you would do well to not make the mistake again, for next time I will not ignore it,” Odin warned. 

Tony laughed bitterly. “Oh yeah, because you ignore everything. You ignored your son, and I don’t give a shit if you don’t believe him to be your son, because he is. You took on the responsibility of taking care of him, and raising him, and you might have done a bad job, but you still did it, and you need to except why Loki is so hurt because of the way you treat him,” Tony hissed. “You’re the reason he has done what he has.” 

Odin blinked blankly a few times as Frigga turned to her husband for some sort of reaction. But none came. “Loki, you will regain your magic. You are dismissed.” 

Loki gasped as the magic flew back into him, his hands and arms glowing bright green, smoke snaking itself around his ankles and biting their way up his leg until it all flowed into the center of his chest. Loki closed his eyes and growled at the sensation, to the point that Tony thought he was hurt, but then his eyes opened, and the bright green captured him. Loki smiled, a real smile, one of the ones that Tony hardly ever had the pleasure to witness and kissed him on the top of the nose. 

Tony would have been so overwhelmed with happiness for Loki right now, if it wasn’t for the fact that Odin still hadn’t replied to him. “Hey, Odin, still waiting for an answer here,” Tony said. 

Odin let what looked like a smirk play on his lips for only a moment before finally a response came. And it was not one Tony wanted. “Get out.” 

“No, I want either a damn explanation or an apology for what you’ve done to Loki, and I’m not leaving until I get one,” Tony said. 

Frigga smiled at Tony and Tony smiled back. At least someone in the royal family saw sense. 

“I do not need to explain myself to you, human,” Odin said. 

“Then how about you apologize for ruining your adopted sons life?” Tony shot back, his voice rising. 

Odin stood from his throne, becoming much more menacing and Godly looking. Okay, maybe this was a bad idea. “I will not apologize for my actions.” 

Tony was shocked. I mean come on, he knows what it feels like to have a jackass father, but this? It was just ridiculous, and Tony wanted to leave right now. “Fine, but just so you know, if you ever kick the bucket, you’re going straight to Helheim my friend,” Tony said and turned to leave, Loki smiling by his side. 

After what seemed like the longest walk in history, the two men made it out the doors with the others following slowly behind. Loki’s smile didn’t falter the entire time and for a moment Tony wondered if maybe the pain of rejection again had popped a nerve. 

They went through the rest of the evening quietly, no one really wanting to address the matter. They ate and drank and everyone became almost entirely wasted. I say almost because there are five Gods, a super soldier, and a big green rage monster who can’t get drunk just like that. Tony’s halfway in the bag but Clint and Tasha are both already there and Tony’s got bets on a threesome with Lady Sif tonight. Possibly Fandral, who knows. Tony really doesn’t want details if Barton is involved at all. 

After they rest of the team is lead to their bedrooms, Tony and Loki make their way to Loki’s room, which is huge and green and dark and much like a punk rock kids bedroom. Once they get near the bed, Loki grabs Stark’s arm and hurls him onto the bed, pushing him up against the headboard and straddling his hips, his hands caging Tony above his head. 

“You stood up to him,” Loki whispered sensually and Tony’s groin did a lurch at the voice and the position and the alcohol laced thoughts. 

“Well yeah, I mean come on, the guy’s a dick,” Tony slurred and Loki laughed mischievously. 

“You are so right, Odin is a dick,” Loki said and Tony smiled at the way Loki’s accent curled around the slang word. “I like when you protect me,” Loki murmured, leaning himself flush with Tony and biting hotly on his neck. 

“I’ll always protect you, love,” Tony managed to get out. 

“I’d say thank you, but for now it’s you who might need protection,” Loki said with a lick across Tony’s neck. 

“Ooh was that a challenge I just heard?” Tony said, grabbing onto Loki’s waist and grinding their hips together. 

“If you‘re up for it, Mister Stark,” Loki slithered, ripping at Tony’s shirt. 

“Let the games begin,” Tony said, flipping the two and taking Loki apart like he’d always dreamed he could, forgetting his own name in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left!! I'd like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to read and comment and kudos this, it means more than words can express. <3 Also, you might be happy to know that I'm not dropping off the face of the internet after this is over, I have another story in mind, that I will likely have a beta for, so yay? Yeah! :D


	20. I Don't Wanna Wake Up From This Tonight

Tony surprisingly got out of bed in the morning without waking Loki and made his way down to the throne room in a nice pair of Asgardian pajamas Loki had found for him. He knew he should just turn around and go back to Loki and have more amazing intimate relations with Loki, but he wasn’t done talking with Odin yet. 

If Tony Stark is anything, he’s persistent, and he’s not letting the Allfather get away this kind of treatment towards his son. 

There were a few guards walking around the castle, none even questioning Tony walking around this early in the morning, but other than that it was mostly empty. Tony hoped Odin and Frigga were awake and in the throne room, which might be rare to come by. He crept down the golden hallways, trying to avoid as many curious Asgardian guards as possible. Tiptoeing to the large doors, he looked to the two guards, who nodded and let the doors open. Well, that was easy. 

Tony stepped inside to find Odin and Frigga both in the same positions they had been in the day before. Odin looked displeased to be speaking with Tony again and Stark couldn’t blame him. If he was in Odin’s shoes he’d be pretty pissed to be dealing with him again. Frigga looked tired and slightly bored, her hand resting on the side of Odin’s throne lazily. Tony stepped forward until he was standing at the base of the stairs and listened to the sound of two ravens flying down to both sides of Odin’s throne. Odin looked fondly at both of the ravens before letting his one eyed gaze land on Tony.

“Let him see his kids,” Tony said, not waiting or really wanting to hear what Odin had to say. 

“Why should I?” Odin replied with strongly. One of the raven crowed behind him and Frigga laid her two fingers on its head to silence it. 

“Because he’s a good father who deserves to see his children. You have Sleipnir as your slave, you should have seen how hurt he looked when he saw him waiting on the Bifrost. I know you can’t very easily let him see Jormungandr or Hel but what about Fenrir? You banished him, you can bring him back. Just let him see them,” Tony said. He didn’t really know why he wanted Loki to be able to visit his children, maybe it was something about Tony wishing that his father had seen him more. He knew what it was like to have a father who wasn’t there for you. He wasn’t going to let Loki become that against his will. 

“Do you have any idea what Loki has done?” Odin said, raising a whitened eyebrow. 

“Yes, I know what Loki has done, but again, if you hadn’t treated him like shit he wouldn’t have done any of that,” Tony said with a small humorless laugh. Frigga’s mouth pulled up at the corners at that. 

Odin hesitated for a while, his one eye looking over Tony and finally turning to his wife. He turned back to Tony after exchanging a quiet word with Frigga. “What will you do if I grant him permission to see them again?” 

“You’re missing the point here, Odin. I just don’t want you to give him a chance to see them for five minutes, they deserve to be freed from the slavery you have them in. I mean what did Fenrir even do to deserve imprisonment?” Tony asked. Loki hadn’t told him anything about Fenrir being held as prisoner, but Tony remembered it from old Norse texts he’d read. 

“Fenrir murdered many innocent people and deserves the punishments being issued upon him ,” Odin growled. 

“What about Narfi and Vali?” Tony asked. 

Odin’s lip jumped a little at the names. “Do you not know?”

“Know what?” Tony hissed. He was so past the point of being civil with the Allfather. Oh wait, he never was civil with the Allfather. 

“The fate of Narfi and Vali,” Odin said cockily. 

Tony tried to go back through everything he’d ever heard about Loki and Sigyn’s twins and couldn’t remember anything about their fate. He thought they were still alive somewhere. Somewhere with Sigyn. “What did you do to them?” 

“Their entrails were the ones to bind Loki for his crimes,” Odin said, his voice absent of any sadness or emotion. 

Tony felt sick. He thought he was going to throw up all the food that he’d consumed the previous evening all over the Allfathers throne, which would maybe make a nice touch. Odin did disgust Tony quite a bit. His heart froze inside his chest and he coughed to get the taste of bile from his mouth. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Odin shook his head. “For the murder of Baldur, Loki was bound by the entrails of his two sons until the day of Ragnarok,” Odin clarified. 

“You’re disgusting, I hope you know that,” Tony said, rubbing the back of his neck to stop himself from killing the Allfather. 

“Believe what you will about me, but I did what was best for my kingdom,” Odin said and Frigga scowled slightly. 

“Let him see them,” she said, looking away from her husband. This was the first time that Tony had heard Frigga speak, and her voice was as beautifully and heavenly as the rest of her. Her bronze eyes locked on her husbands face and narrowed carefully. 

“Excuse me?” Odin turned to his wife and asked, his one eye widened slightly. “Have you forgotten what Loki has done? He is deserving of this punishment!” Odin cried. 

“He is my son, and I demand that you let him see his children, if not Hel or Jormungandr or Fenrir at least let him be with Sleipnir. Release Sleipnir from your service, he has done nothing to fit this type of sentence,” Frigga said, staring at her husband murderously. That is one terrifying woman, just about as scary as Pepper or Natasha. “Sleipnir doesn’t belong at your toes, Odin.”

Odin sighed, defeated, and turned back to Tony angrily. “Sleipnir will be released from his ranks and allowed to return to Loki for whatever he wishes of him.” 

“Good, glad we’ve got that settled,” Tony said, winking at Frigga. “Thanks for the help, your majesty.”

“You are welcome, Mister Stark,” Frigga said with a smile and nod. Tony turned and left without another word, going through the opened doors and running right into Thor. 

“Man of Iron! What are you doing at this hour?” Thor asked, his voice slightly scratchy sounding, like he had a cold. 

“I was just giving your dad a piece of my mind and helping to free your nephew, no biggy,” Tony said with a nonchalant shrug, and turned to head back up to Loki’s bedroom.

“As if you didn’t give him enough pieces of your mind yesterday?” Thor grumbled from behind Tony, following him. 

“Ha ha, Thor, you can actually be sarcastic,” Tony said, turning to offer Thor a small smirk. 

“I learn around you, Anthony,” Thor said with a small chuckle. 

“Hey, only Loki gets to call me that. It pisses me off enough when he says it, I don’t need you saying it also,” Tony grumbled, walking up the stairs leading to Loki’s room. 

“What have you told the Allfather regarding my nephew? And which one exactly? Loki has quite a few children,” Thor said. 

“I got him to free Sleipnir, well with help from your mom,” Tony said, turning a corner and stopping at Loki’s closed door. 

“What are we supposed to do with him?” Thor asked. 

“I dunno, we could get a stable at Stark Tower or something, we’ll figure something out,” Tony said with a shrug. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to tell my love bug the news,” Tony said, opening the door and closing it behind him before Thor could respond. 

Loki lay awake in the bed, a pair of freaking reading glasses sat atop his nose and a large book placed in his hands. “Glasses?” Tony asked, stepping towards the God. 

Loki looked up from his book and smiled softly, closing it after he saw who it was and using his magic to place it back on the shelf across from the bed. He reached up and took his glasses off, setting them on the bedside table. “I don’t have the best eyesight for a God.” 

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Tony said, crawling into bed next to Loki. 

“Do better not to refer to me as cute, Stark,” Loki said with a small laugh so Tony knew he was joking. 

“But you’re so cute, Loki,” Tony said, smooching Loki’s cheek. 

Loki laughed quietly and moved away from Stark’s lips on his cheek. “Where’d you sneak off to?” 

“I went to talk to Odin,” Tony said, leaning his head on Loki’s shoulder. 

“Oh, Gods, Anthony,” Loki breathed heavily. “You’re going to get yourself killed with that stupid mouth of yours.”

“I’m well aware, love, but you might be happy with the news I bring,” Tony said. 

“Oh? Please do tell,” Loki coaxed, leaning his head against Tony’s. 

“I got him to release Sleipnir,” Tony said and fell over onto his side when Loki hurled himself out the bed. 

“You did what?” Loki hissed, his fists clenched at his side. 

“I thought you’d be happy about this?” Tony asked confusedly, raising an eyebrow in question. 

“I mean, of course, I’m happy, but why, how?” Loki sputtered, his eyes widening. 

“Well I called him a few more naughty words and then Frigga said that he should allow Sleipnir to be freed,” Tony said before another thought came into his head. “Why didn’t you tell me what happened to Narfi and Vali?” Tony asked softly, carefully. 

Loki froze and his hands unclenched instantly, his eyes watering slightly. “It was a time in my life I wished to forget,” he answered with.

“I’m so sorry, Loki,” Tony whispered and pulled Loki back down to sit next to him. 

“That’s why I was hesitant when you wanted to have sex. They had men rape me while I was bound,” Loki said quietly. “Sometimes I believe the even the cruelest of crimes don’t deserve Asgardian tortures.”

Tony frowned deeply and pulled Loki into a tight hug, kissing the spot under his ear. “It’s okay, I’m never going to let anything ever hurt you again,” Tony said, smoothing his fingers through Loki’s onyx hair. 

“I know,” Loki responded with. After about five minutes of silence, Tony combing through Loki’s hair and kissing his neck, Loki hugging Tony like he’d loose him if he let go, Loki spoke again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Tony said. “He deserved to be free.” 

Loki nodded against Tony’s shoulder and pulled away slightly. “We should go home. I never really cared for it here.” 

Tony smiled softly. “Okay, we can leave whenever you want.” 

Loki’s eyes widened minimally as if he’d remembered something before standing. “I need to have a word with Lady Sif before we make our departure,” he said, heading towards the door after Tony stood next to him. 

“Okay, you can do that and I’ll go down and get breakfast,” Tony said, opening the door and walking out, heading down the stairs as Loki went down the opposite hallway. 

~*~

Loki knocked on her door shyly and it opened seconds later, revealing a ever beautiful Sif, wearing a cotton night gown. 

“Loki? What are you doing here?” She asked drowsily. 

“I came to ask what is happening between you and Thor,” Loki said, not bothering to try to get inside Sif’s room. 

Sif blushed like a school girl and bit her lip. “Well, I believe that he wishes to stay with me. He says that he knew he had to leave Jane, she’s mortal, will soon perish, and I am of Asgardian blood,” Sif said proudly. 

“Well, I am happy for you, Lady Sif. You deserve my brother,” Loki said with as caring of a smile as he could produce. 

“I’m sure there was some hidden meaning in there some where but I do not care to find it,” Sif said with a carefree laugh and Loki mimicked her. 

He’d always cared for Sif more than he’d let on and he was secretly glad that he was able to have these conversations with her. “Come, I’m heading down for breakfast,” Loki said and Sif nodded. 

“I will change into something more presentable and make my way down,” she said with a smile and closed the door. Loki walked down the stairs and to the hall where meals were always given and found the Avengers seated and tired looking, surrounded by jolly Warriors Three and other more famous members of Asgards’ court. Natasha, Bruce, and Thor were all deep within their coffee mugs and Clint had his head against the wooden table, exhausted. Tony turned and smiled when Loki entered the room and scooted down a bit for more room.

Loki walked over and pulled up a chair next to Tony, picking out a small plate filled with fruits and eating them one at a time, grapes first. He looked down the arsenal of foods and saw them. The golden apples laid out for the Gods. Loki’s eyes met Thor’s, who was watching his brother hesitantly. Loki pretended not to notice the cautious look Thor was giving him, and picked up one of the apples, handing it to Tony and hoping that he didn’t recognize it.

“Here, try these, they’re delicious,” Loki said, setting the gleaming, gold apple on Tony’s plate. 

Tony raised an eyebrow but didn’t question and picked up the apple, taking a large bite from it. “Mmm, this is good,” he said around a mouthful of apple. 

Loki exhaled heavily, relieved, and tried to ignore Thor’s worried glances his direction. 

~*~

Six hours later and the Avengers are saying goodbye to the Warriors Three and Sif at the Bifrost sight. Loki’s got Sleipnir by his side and he hasn’t stopped smiling since they were reunited. He’s running his fingers up the horses muzzle and chuckling whenever he made a noise, like he understood what the eight legged horse was saying. Maybe he did. 

Sif gave Loki a long hug and kissed Thor passionately before stepping behind her comrades and letting them say their goodbyes. And yes, Tony noticed when Fandral spent a bit more time with Tasha and Clint. After everyone was satisfactory with their goodbyes, a voice called out from the other side of the Bifrost, and Tony looked up to see Frigga making her way down the Rainbow Bridge. 

She ran up and hugged Thor tightly, whispering something in his ear before moving to Loki. “I love you, son,” she whispered, only loud enough for Tony to hear next to Loki. 

Loki squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek. “I love you, too, mother.” 

Frigga moved back and placed a soothing hand to Loki’s cheek, going to kiss Sleipnirs’ muzzle before moving to Tony and kissing the back of his hand. “Thank you for giving my son so much happiness, Mister Stark. I don’t know what I could do to repay you.”

“Let me keep loving him,” Tony responded with, hugging Frigga lightly. 

The Avengers turned and walked into the Bifrost dome, waving their goodbyes as Heimdall lowered his sword, letting the Bifrost conceal them. 

Back into New Mexico. The air is hot and sticky, so much less comfortable than it had been in Asgard. Tony looks down at the markings on the ground and tried to remember to ask Thor what those were. A Quinjet awaited them and Natasha and Clint entered first, getting into their seats and waiting for the rest of the team to file in before closing the doors and heading back towards home. 

It was a little awkward trying to transport Sleipnir through the not overly large plane, and it’s butt ended up only slightly in Steve’s face. Loki played with his sons face, kissing the top of his nose and running his long, white fingers through the horses mane. The eight legs were still a little odd to get used to, but Tony actually managed to touch the horse without whizzing himself or making the horse attack someone. 

They got back to Stark Tower a while later to Pepper and Agent Coulson. Pepper held a bundle of papers that Tony just knew were meant for him and unloaded themselves off the jet. Coulson just about squealed in excitement when he noticed Sleipnir. Apparently the guy has a small ranch were he raises horses. Who’d have thought? The team agreed that that would most likely be the best spot for Sleipnir to stay, since he couldn’t really remain at Stark Tower comfortably, and Loki could still visit him whenever he’d like. 

“Can someone please explain to me why we now have a horse with us?” Clint asked and Tony punched him in the shoulder. 

They made their way inside the building and Tony filled out the papers that Pepper hounded him with before guiding Loki up to their bedroom. Loki sat Tony down on the bed and straddling his hips, not sexually, but for comfort, and took an apple out of his pocket. Tony eyed it curiously. 

“What’s your deal with these things? They’re good but they aren’t that good,” Tony said and Loki nudged it at his chin without responding. “Okay, okay, I’ll eat it.”

Loki smiled widely and watched Tony eat the entire thing before kissing his charmingly on the lips. “I love you, Anthony. I will never be able to tell you how much I love you, and I’ll never be able to make it up to you how much it means to me that you let me in.”

“You don’t have to make anything up to me, love. I adore you, Loki. I will never be able to be without you again. I love my little Severus Snape,” Tony said with a small chuckle that Loki copied. 

Loki pushed Tony gently back against the bed and dragged his lips slowly down the bridge of Tony’s nose before coming to meet his lips. “I think. . . I’m ready,” he whispered. 

“Are you sure?” Tony asked quietly. He didn’t want to risk this moment. 

Loki nodded and kissed Tony intensely, pushing himself against him tightly, lovingly, with more care than Tony had ever felt in his entire life. Tony returned the kiss gingerly, gently going through Loki’s hair and rubbing circles across the bare part of ivory skin under his shirt. Loki moaned softly and placed a hand under Tony’s neck and pushed his face closer into him, melding into one. Tony undid the ties on Loki’s shirt and slid his own off leisurely, going down to undo the buckle on Loki’s pants. 

Loki removed his lips from Tony’s for a minute, his breathing heavy. “The apples are Idunns’,” he whispered. 

“I know,” Tony said with a smile. 

“You’re okay with that?” Loki asked, worried. 

“Of course I am, I want to spend the rest of eternity with you, Loki,” Tony said and kissed Loki again, running his fingers through his hair caringly so that Loki almost had to choke back a sob. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe he had become this happy. That Tony had made him this happy. That Tony was okay with spending forever with him. That Tony had gotten his son back for him. All of the stuff that they’d gone through, all of the heartbreak, and hurt, and torture that they’d dealt with as a result of Loki’s stupidity. All of the love they’d shared, and lover they’d fought for, love they’d lost and regained. Love that meant the world to both of them. And none of this would have ever happened if he hadn’t fallen from the Bifrost. He undid his pants and slid them down and off, letting Tony claim him like he hadn’t let anyone do for millennia’s. 

“Thank you,” Loki said, rolling off of Tony and curling himself close to him. 

“You say that a lot,” Tony said breathlessly, chuckling softly, poking Loki’s nose to let him know he was joking. “I told you I’d never hurt you.”

“I never thought you would,” Loki replied with. 

Tony turned onto his side and looked at Loki laid out on his bare back beside him. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, Tony, I’m more than okay,” Loki said with one of those smiles. The smiles that truly meant something. One of those smiles that showed Tony how happy Loki was, how much Tony meant to Loki. One of those smiles that made him want to just melt into a pile of love. 

“I love you,” Tony repeated for what felt like the thousandth time since they’d arrived back home. 

“Forever,” Loki said, kissing Tony on the top of the nose and catching the one tear Tony let fall down his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! :) BIG BIG BIG thank yous to all of you who are reading this!! I love you guys, so much! A special shout-out to Sara, who always comments and I adore her for it <3 I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :) My new story will hopefully be up shortly :D Again, THANK YOU!! I don't know how much more I can say that :)


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